Dinner Date Gone Wrong
by KeiraCassidy
Summary: When Abigail tries to set-up Mary on a date, things don't go as she planned. She wants Mary to have a relationship with someone besides Marshall. But after a dinner set-up amongst friends things start to go awry. Could she lose Marshall? Will Mary forgive him? M/M ending. Disclaimer; I don't own anything! Rated M for future chapters!
1. Chapter 1

**A new take post finale, hope you all enjoy!**

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It was Friday night and Mary was inwardly praying that a witness called with a situation. There was a long lonely weekend awaiting her, which should've made her ecstatic, but Norah was going to spend the weekend with her father, Mark.

This would be the first time Norah spent a weekend away from her. When she agreed with Mark's pleading to let her come stay with him for the weekend, she really thought she would be okay with that, but apparently she hadn't thought it through. Now, the thought of coming to an empty house, which was the one thing she had prayed for-for a really long time when she had a full house, made her uneasy and lonely.

Mary was so busy contemplating what to do to pass the time throughout the weekend that she hadn't seen Marshall leave his office and walk towards her desk.

Marshall had seen her private struggle and sadly sighed deeply, they hadn't been close since he spoke to her on the balcony. He never thought their friendship would take a plunge so deep down that there would never be light upon it. He was afraid to lose his best-friend, but he knew that it was happening.

Ever since 'the talk' where she swore that she was happy for him and Abigail, she had taken a step back from their friendship. At first he was grateful that she had understood, but now it seemed like she was shutting him out. She hadn't brought Norah back to the office, instead she would call to let him know she was running late or just call out to take care of her.

That morning Abigail had convinced him to invite Mary to dinner, he was glad that his fiancée was coming around, making an effort to include Mary in their lives. A life that he saw with a wife and his best-friend.

Mary leaned back on her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. She was thinking of hitting a bar for a few drinks, but thought against it almost immediately.

She opened her eyes and cerulean eyes locked with hers, she jumped and cursed under her breath.

"Hey, Mare, you have any plans with Norah this weekend?" he stood with hands on hips looking down at her.

"No plans," she muttered as she straightened her paperwork.

"I'm sure with a little girl you must have something to do, maybe the park?" he asked nonchalantly.

He caught her off guard asking about her weekend and her daughter that she answered without thinking, "She's spending the weekend at Mark's."

"Mark moved out?" he asked surprised, she hadn't shared that information with him._ What else have you kept from me?_

"Huh...yeah, I guess," she murmured as she signed a few reports, she had forgotten that she hadn't told him that little tidbit.

Marshall just stared at her in disbelief, shaking his head he asked the question he had dreaded to ask since Abigail asked him.

"Well then, if you have no plans you're coming home with me tonight," he announced with a huge smile on his face, the smile not reaching his eyes.

Mary dropped her pen in surprise and arched an eyebrow at him, "Am I really?"

"Yes, dinner at Casa de..." he was cut off.

"No way in _hell_ am I coming home with you for a family dinner. Nuh-uh, not in a million years," she argued shaking her head furiously. "I don't even have dinner with Jinx and Brandi."

"Come on, Mare, we haven't hung out in...uh...quite a while," he started strong, but at the end he just muttered the rest.

"Nope"

"Please...don't make me beg, Mare. Free food."

Mary looked up at him and the pleading in his eyes, as much as she hated to spend family time with anyone, she didn't have anything else planned. And in her books, free food always trumped lonely empty house.

"Fine, but I'm warning you now. As soon as the last bite crosses my esophagus I'm out of there," she threatened as she stood up pointing a finger at him dangerously.

But he took it in stride, "Yes, whatever you say. As soon as the pie crosses your esophagus you are out of there. Thanks Mare."

She looked up at his expectant blue gaze, he looked at her like an excited child that finally got what he wished for.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit then," he walked away smiling brightly.

* * *

Marshall walked into his house with a wide smile on his face, he hung his jacket on a hook by the door as he dropped the keys on the table against the wall. His smile froze in place when he turned into the living room. He came to a halt as he saw several couples sitting around and chatting with Abigail.

As soon as his fiancée spot him against the threshold she smiled up at him and gingerly walked towards him, "Honey Britches! We've been waiting for you."

"Uh, I thought this was supposed to be a quiet dinner with just us and Mary," he whispered angrily at her.

Abigail's expression fell slightly before she turned to the group, "Hey guys, dinner will be served shortly."

She pulled him into the kitchen and closed the door, "What is _wrong_ with you? Those are our friends and you just embarrassed me!"

"Well I'm sorry Abigail, but you made this dinner out to be just something to include Mary in our lives, not a damn dinner party!" he scowled as he swirled around and leaving her in the kitchen alone.

Entering his bedroom he pulled out his cell phone to call Mary and cancel, but the cell phone was pulled from his grasp, "Those are our friends and it'll be good for Mary to get to know new people. She needs other friends other than you, Sugar Britches."

He never thought her southern voice would annoy him, but apparently she finally reached the point. She came around to face him and touched his cheek, "Come on, Marshall."

"Fine," he knew it would be a mistake to bring Mary into that sort of situation without any fair warning, he also knew that it would cost him. He just hoped she would forgive him without inflicting any pain.

The doorbell rang and he jumped as Abigail left their bedroom with a squeal.

Mary stood outside Marshall's house waiting for them to open the door, a bottle of wine in one hand and the other in her jacket jingling her keys. Muttering in frustration when he took long, then suddenly light spilled out and there on the front door stood Abigail Chaffee.

"Hey Detective," she muttered as she thrust her hand out holding the wine out to the other woman.

"Hello Mary, come in, come in. You can call me Abigail, we're not working. This is just dinner with friends," Abigail said cheerily.

Mary groaned as she crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her. She followed Abigail to the living room and froze as she rounded into the room, much like Marshall. All she saw was red when she saw all the couples sitting around in the living room, she smiled at the group, the smile coming out like a grimace.

"Hey guys, this is Mary Shannon, one of Marshall's Inspector. Mary, this is our friends," the last words grated on Mary's last nerve, she was annoyed that the detective had dismissed her friendship with Marshall. It hadn't been her fault that the friendship was on a shaky ground, she wanted to turn and run out of this farce of dinner party. Mary knew that everyone there was judging her for not playing dress up.

Marshall walked out of his bedroom into the awkward moment, he looked on as everyone stared at her funny, something that really upset him. Looking at Mary he cringed at her expression of rage, "Hey Mare, I'm glad you finally made it. Abigail is about to serve dinner."

Mary rolled her eyes without meeting his eyes, she looked away from him and shrugged out of her jacket, throwing it across the only empty chair. All the women turned to look at each other at her actions and hid their smiles behind their wine glasses. The men stared at her in amazement, in appreciation, something that Marshall still wasn't used to, something that really bothered him.

She was wearing curve hugging jeans and a red tank top that hugged her chest as it enhanced it, her boots along with her posture making her almost as tall as him by a few inches.

Abigail saw the awkward situation and announced cheerily, "Why don't we all move to the dining room? I'm going to start serving dinner. Hope you all like chicken fried steak, mash' potatoes and vegetables."

All the women aww'ed and oohh'ed at the food as Mary sat as far away as she could from Marshall, she wanted out of there and the sooner the cheerleader served dinner, the sooner she could get out of dodge. _What the hell did I get myself into?_ she thought.

Then the doorbell rang yet again, Abigail's face lit up and she practically sprinted to the door. Marshall turned to look at his former partner, but she avoided his gaze as she answered the man across from her. He knew that she had made the conscience decision to sit as far away from him as she could, which already told him where her emotions lay.

"So, how long have you known Marshall?" asked the man across from her.

"Eleven years," she muttered, her ear towards the front door.

Turning into the dining room Abigail came in with another man, Mary looked behind them for the man's wife, but no one followed them. The man was slightly shorter than Marshall, with blonde wavy hair that curled into the nape of his neck, a chiseled jaw with a five o'clock shadow and bright blue eyes, if you liked that type. He was bulkier than Marshall's scrawny body, but she knew otherwise, she had seen him many times with only a wife beater. She knew that Marshall only had a scrawny body appearance, but underneath all that clothes lay a man made of slick steel. She turned back to the man across from her, but was interrupted when she saw Abigail approach her through the corner of her eye.

Abigail walked straight to her and said excitedly, "Mary, this is Jefferson Morris, he's a new detective in the department. He just started working here in Albuquerque a few weeks ago." turning back to her guest, she pointed to a chair next to Mary.

She mumbled a greeting as she took a sip of her water, praying that her hair covered the blush creeping up her neck, never had she been embarrassed as she was at that very moment. _A set-up! This is a God damn set-up? I'm going **kill** Marshall!_

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**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews!**

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Dinner was served and everyone began to chat around the table, commenting on how good the food was, what a wonderful cook Abigail was, how lucky Marshall was for being engaged to her.

A lot of things that made Mary cringe, she dug into her food, not paying anyone any attention. The sooner the food was cleared from her plate, the sooner she could get out of this dinner from hell.

It wasn't enough that everyone tried to engage her in conversation, causing her to mumble a reply here and there, but the new detective kept asking her questions that annoyed her.

"Do you _enjoy_ being in law enforcement?" one of the women smirked.

Mary locked eyes with the woman, making her blush before responding, "No, I don't _enjoy _it, I _love _it."

Abigail started to look panicked, she commented, "Oh Mary, we all love law enforcement, but what Nancy here was actually asking was if you _enjoy_ it. Because I have to admit, we don't always enjoy our careers, right?"

Looking over at her boss' fiancée, Mary nodded, "Huh…I enjoy my career just fine, or I wouldn't love it."

Marshall looked between his fiancée and Mary, unsure if he should say something or not, going with his gut, "If there is one thing you all should know about my part-I mean, my uh…my friend here is that she doesn't do anything she doesn't like.

Mary's eyes shot to Marshall and frowned, rolling her eyes she looked down to her food, _almost done, keep it together Shannon._

"So, how come we haven't met before?" came from her left, the new detective was trying to call her attention. She inwardly groaned and looked at him through the corner of her eye, "I don't know, luck I guess."

He chuckled, "What do I have to do to have you work a case with me?"

She shrugged at him and continued to stuff her mouth with her food, she was halfway done. An audible sigh of relief passed through her lips.

"I'm pretty new to Albuquerque. Maybe we can hang out, you can show me around. Do you know of a good place to have fun?" he probed, causing her to close her eyes briefly. She could almost feel Marshall and Abigail's stare directed her way, which caused her to get quench her temper down.

"What about a drink? My treat," he offered when she didn't answer his previous inquiry.

"I'm sure there are many women ready to help you out in your department," she informed through clenched teeth.

Jefferson shrugged, "Yeah, that's true…"

Mary kept grinding her teeth as she chewed on her dinner, but as soon as she stuffed the last piece of chicken fried steak, she stood up pushing her chair back, making the table rattle. Everyone around stopped startled and turned to her, all the women had their eyes wide in surprise.

She turned to the new detective and said, "Look _detective_, I'm not a personal tour guide. I'm sure this city has a place for people like you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Then she turned to Abigail before she walked out of the dining room, avoiding Marshall's pleading gaze, she sneered sarcastically, "Thanks for dinner, but next time you want to set me up, give me a heads up. Give me a chance to dress like a _lady_."

Abigail had taken a sip of water, she started to cough in surprise, blushing in embarrassment. Marshall stood up and tapped her on the back, not surprise that Mary had reacted in that way. More surprised that she hadn't spoken up when she first arrived and found the couples in the living room

When he glanced towards Mary, she had walked out of the dining room. He hurriedly left the dining room, he found her shrugging into her jacket.

"I'm sorry Mare, I didn't know Abs was planning a dinner party, let alone that she would set you up like that," he pleaded as he blocked her way out, afraid that he had caused the end of their friendship while trying to please his fiancée.

She shrugged and tried to walk around him, but he shot a hand out, she growled his way without looking at him, "Move asshole!"

"Do you always have to be so damn rude?" came from the hallway, Abigail had her hands on her hips as she glared at Mary.

Mary rolled her eyes at the detective and moved around them both, "Thanks again for dinner detective..._Chief," _she nodded in his general direction.

She walked out of their home and squealed out of their driveway.

* * *

The following Monday, Marshall walked into the office early in the morning and dropped off Mary's coffee cup, her favorite at the moment according to Delia, on her desk. Went into this office and waited for Mary to walk into the office.

She walked in a half hour later and sat behind her desk, reached for the cup and pressed it against her lips. She paused and her nose replaced her lips, Marshall could see her sniff her drink. Mary wrinkled her nose and reached over her desk, throwing the coffee cup into the trash.

Marshall stared in disbelief, he couldn't believe she would willingly throw her favorite cup of coffee without drinking it.

Looking up at him, his breath caught at the rage still brewing in her eyes. He stood up, but she shot him her, _don't come near me, _glare. He sat back down and sighed deeply, he knew she was going to be upset. His only hope was that she would eventually forgive him.

By the middle of the day Mary felt more pissed off then Friday night. After leaving his place she had driven to Mark's and told him all about the hell she had to live a few hours ago at Marshall's place.

_"Come on, Mare. I'm sure it must've been fun. Dinner with a bunch of grown-ups," Mark chuckled at her strangled groan._

_"She tried to set **me** up, with a grade A asshole! Oh, why haven't we worked together?" she mocked Jefferson and took a big gulp of beer._

_Mark laughed out loud and kicked her booted foot with his bare foot, "I'm sure that was hilarious. Maybe you can date him."_

_Glaring at him she shook her head, "I'm not interested in dating."_

_"Just because you became a mother doesn't mean you can stop living your life Mare," advised Mark._

_"Maybe they should've invited you to the dinner party, you sound more grown up then me," she groused._

_"You **do **know that you won't turn into Jinx overnight, right?" he asked curiously._

_Mary just turned to look at him and saw the truth in his eyes. She wouldn't turn into Jinx, then nodded._

She knew Mark was right, it was time to start dating, but after the balcony fiasco, she had realized something that had opened her eyes and knew it was too late to act upon it. Shaking her head she walked around her desk to the kitchenette to get a cup of coffee, she knew that it had been a childish act on her part when she threw the coffee Marshall had brought her. She also knew that it was his way of making it up to her for the dinner disaster and the set up, but she wasn't ready to forgive him.

Mary poured herself a cup of coffee and took a few steps back to her desk when Marshall stepped out, he tried to hold her gaze but she frowned and turned back to the sink, she dumped the coffee she had just poured herself. Walking back to her desk she muttered to him as she walked by him, "Going on witness visits."

With a resigned sigh, he nodded and saw her walk out of the office, pushing files into her bag, by the time she walked in the elevator she was on her cell phone.

By lunch time, Mary walked into one of her favorite diners and sat on a stool in the corner. A good view point for her to be able to see anyone walking into the place. She ordered herself a burger with seasoned fries with a glass of coke. She had just begun to eat her meal when the bell above the door jingled with a new arrival; Mary looked over to the door and spotted the new detective Jefferson. He looked around scoping the crowd when he saw her.

She groaned inwardly and mumbled a curse under her breath when she saw him move towards her, "Mary Shannon, right?"

Mary rolled her eyes at him as she continued to chew on her food; she didn't understand why he was bothering with her. She thought she had made herself clear at dinner the other night.

"So, the other night was…interesting," he started as if he hadn't seen her try to ignore him.

"That's putting it mildly," she muttered under her breath.

Looking over at her he smiled broadly, showing off his pearly whites, something that truly annoyed her. The waitress came over and took down his order, a chicken caesar salad, which managed to annoy her further.

"What are you, a girl?" she asked when the waitress walked away.

Jefferson did a double take and stared down at her with a frown, "What makes you say that?"

"A salad? What type of man orders a _salad_, for God's sake?" Mary smirked before taking a big bite of her burger, talking around her food, "Next…you'll take a…napkin and…set it on your…lap."

He grimaced and looked away, he liked her feistiness, he wondered how feisty she would get when he finally got her into his bed. Because there was no doubt that he would bed the Marshal.

"How about dinner tonight?" he tried again.

Mary swallowed her food and sat back on the stool, folded her hand under the other and brought her hand up to her chin, tapping the chin with forefinger as if in thought. She looked back at him and rolled her eyes once again, "I thought I made myself clear on Friday, but since it's apparent that I wasn't, I'll clear the air now. I'm not a mother humping tour guide."

He chuckled and shook his head, bringing his hands up in defense, "No, I know you're not. You were pretty clear. That was actually my way of asking you out."

She burst out laughing making him rear back in surprise, no woman had ever laughed at him for asking them out.

"Look, I'll get clearer, I don't date cops, I don't plan on dating cops and I certainly don't plan on _ever_ dating you," she finished as she stood up, took a long swig of her soda and dropped a few bills next to her unfinished food, right before she walked away she turned to him and said, "And it's _Inspector_ Shannon to you."

Jefferson saw her walk out of the diner and set himself to change her mind, he knew that by the end of the week he would have her eating out of his hand. With a smirk he started to eat his salad, but after a few bites he pushed it away and paid for his meal. He didn't think he could ever eat a salad and not think of Mary Shannon.

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**TBC...Guest, you had me laughing so hard, I had tears running down my face. If there is one thing we know about Mary is that she's never polite. It wouldn't be true to her character, the Mary we all love and know would definitely be more feisty and really pissed. Hope you all enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

For the rest of the week, Mary 'bumped' into Jefferson at every conceivable place. She was frustrated that the man wouldn't take a clue, she wasn't interested and she wouldn't be either.

Tuesday night, she had walked into the supermarket to get baby essentials when she almost ran Jefferson over with the shopping cart as she rounded a corner. She excused herself with a scowl almost immediately after he apologized for getting in her way and offering to buy her coffee.

Wednesday for lunch, Delia and Mary had stopped to get the lunch special at a whole in the wall taco place. They had a buy one taco get the second taco free, Mary wouldn't pass an opportunity for a free meal, ever. She was about to pay when a man's hand reached over her with a twenty on it, she grasped the hand and pulled it back as she turned to encounter blue eyes. She loved free food, but not coming from the detective. She took out her money and paid for her food, leaving a Delia staring after her with opened mouth surprise.

Thurday morning, she hurriedly pushed open the swinging door and walked into the coffee shop, bumping into Jefferson, causing him to pour hot coffee down his shirt. She smirked and moved around him, cutting in front of several patrons that shot irritating looks her way. The barista knew her well enough to know her choice of coffee for the week. She left a Jefferson staring after her with a scowl on his face, she shrugged and walked out.

On Friday afternoon, after she had gone on a witness visit, a visit that had taken longer because the witness' teenage daughter refused to stay in at night. Mary had yelled and reprimanded both mother and daughter, until she was hoarse. Delia had accompanied her since they were now partners, they had stopped at her witness first. Later after the yelling match with her witness and daughter, they had gone over to Delia's witness. That visit had been a short one, the witness and his wife were fairly new to WITSEC and still afraid, which meant that they wouldn't be getting into any trouble in the immediate future.

They walked into a Mexican restaurant for a really late lunch, according to Mary's growling stomach. Settled in a booth, Delia looked around the restaurant, she had learned from the best to always be on alert for anyone and everyone. When her eyes landed on a man sitting on a stool by the counter she gave him an appraising look, then smiled and turned to Mary, "Hey, isn't that your boyfriend?"

Mary frowned and looked over at where Delia had pointed and saw Jefferson hitting on the waitress, as if he felt her gaze he turned and his blue eyes locked with her green. She rolled her eyes at him and looked back at Delia, "Let's get out of here; I think I've seen enough of him over the week."

Delia laughed and followed Mary, standing and moving around the restaurant towards the front door, Jefferson saw them move and he hastily moved their way, he blocked Mary's way before she reached the front door, she looked up at him and growled, "I suggest you move out of the way _detective,_ wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"Come on, Mary, my treat for you and the pretty Delia here," he offered as he refused to budge, Delia shook her head with a hidden smile because she knew what was coming. She hadn't worked with Mary for as long as she had without learning not be get in her way.

Mary walked up real close to him and looked him up and down, as if checking him out, as soon as she was a breath away she looked into his blue eyes and smirked, "Its _Inspector_ Shannon, and I'd rather starve."

She managed to push him aside aggressively and turned as she opened the door and glared at the man.

Delia drove them back to the Sunshine building, both now starving but Mary had refused to go anywhere else, she was looking out the side of the car window when she muttered under her breath, "I think he's stalking me."

"Why would you think that?" Delia asked curiously, trying to gauze her reaction.

"I don't believe in coincidences, and I've 'bumped' into him at every establishment I've been this week," she said distractedly.

"You're right, now that you've said that, he was at that taco place we went to on Wednesday," now Delia was more curious and concerned. "Maybe he just likes you and he found out with someone about your favorite hang outs."

"Huh, someone like…Detective _Chaffee?_" she asked sarcastically.

"Uh…I guess, she _did _try to set you up on that dinner party, which she didn't invite _me _to," she said with a mock pout, trying to get Mary out of the funk she fell into with Jefferson's presence.

Mary just laughed and got off the car when Delia parked in the parking lot, they strolled into the building going straight for the vending machines when they went into the building. Both armed with vending machine sandwiches and drinks they made their way up into their floor.

Marshall was making himself a coffee when he heard the elevator door open, he turned and he saw them both carrying the vending machine sandwiches and drinks, he frowned and walked over to them.

"I'm telling you, if I see that douche anytime this weekend, I'm shooting him in the ass," Mary threatened angrily.

"That only means you would have a ton of paperwork you aren't ready to handle for discharging your weapon," laughing commented Delia as she opened the wrapper of her sandwich.

"At this point, I don't care," she muttered through sandwich bites as she saw Marshall approach, she didn't spare him a glance as she took another bite of her turkey sandwich on rye.

"Anything I should be concerned about?" he asked as he approached their desk, a hand on his hip as the other held the Marshal's mug; he heard Mary's comment about shooting someone, which was a daily occurrence.

Delia looked over at Mary and saw that she was ignoring them as she was attacking her sandwich, she turned back to her Chief and sighed, "Uh…that new detective seems really interested in Mary. It seems that she's 'bumped' into him throughout the week at her favorite hang outs."

Mary grumbled under her breath, Delia and Marshall just turned to look at her, not understanding what she had uttered.

"Define 'bumped'," he asked as he walked closer to Mary's desk.

She didn't acknowledge him as she took her sandwich in her hands and started to walk away, but thought against it, with a frustrating sigh, "Just tell your cheerleader to call the hound back. I can find my own cowboys, thank you very much."

"What are you getting at? What does Abigail have to do with you 'bumping' into Jefferson?" now Marshall felt indignant for his fiancée, he put his mug down on her desk and glared at her.

"Getting at? Your girlfriend's boyfriend is practically stalking me!" she glared at him, throwing the rest of her sandwich in the trash, she had lost her appetite.

"Stalking you? He asked you out and you shot him down, at dinner the other night," he growled.

"Yes, stalking! I walk into a place and there he is right behind me a few minutes later. The first time, I thought it was just a coincidence, if I wasn't as good as I am, I would think he has someone trailing me or he's following me," she defended herself, running her fingers through her wind swept hair.

His frown deepened as he rubbed his chin and shook his head, "All week?"

"Yeah, all mother humping week. Keeps pestering me about going out with him," she sat heavily into her chair behind her desk and rested her head on her desk.

"Don't you think you would've noticed if someone was following you?" he asked curiously.

"Look Chief, I know he's not following me. I think he _asked_ around and apparently I'm predictable," she muttered into her desk.

Marshall frowned and remembered a conversation he had with his fiancée a few weeks ago, right before the disastrous dinner party. She had quizzed him about Mary, anything and everything, he had answered all her questions because he thought he was being a good boyfriend. But after this little information he had enough.

He swirled around and stalked into his office, leaving a Delia with her mouth hanging open at the angry gaze she saw him sport before walking away.

Mary looked up, not having seen his expression and frowned over at Delia, "What's wrong with him?"

"I guess you hit the nail on the head," she guessed.

Mary nodded and growled, "The cheerleader."

All Delia could do was nod and turned to log into her computer, taking a bite from her own sandwich.

* * *

Marshall drove home after he had called his fiancée to meet him at home, he walked in and waited for her arrival.

Abigail walked in and immediately found him pacing the living room, she smiled, "Hey Honey Britches, don't you think it's a little early to play house?"

He stopped his pacing and turned slowly to glare at her, "Not really the reason I asked you to come home."

She was stunned at his attitude towards her, she crossed her arms and looked at him with a hurt look, "What's wrong?"

"You tell me, why the hell did you tell Detective Morris everything about Mary?" he accused with hands on hips as he continued to glare at her.

A panic expression crossed her features before she composed herself and said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sugar…"

"Cut the crap, you drilled me about Mary a few weeks before the damn dinner party," he raised his voice loud enough to have her stepping back.

"Mar-Marshall, what exactly is this about? Me telling Jefferson things about Mary? Or the fact that he's pursuing her?" Abigail moved her hands to her hips now and glared back at him, accusation in her eyes.

Marshall rolled his eyes at her and growled pointing a finger at her, "Don't! Don't go there...You better call him and tell him to back the _hell_ off my best-friend!"

He stalked away and she hurried behind him, "This discussion isn't over Marshall, do not walk out of this house!"

He swirled back to her when he reached the door, he snarled, "Stop telling me what to do! Don't expect me home tonight, I'll stay at a hotel."

The door opened and shut behind him, she stood staring at the empty space he had left behind, with opened mouth shock. He had never overreacted about a situation before, not even when she asked him to make her his priority.

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**TBC...Guest, you're right...Mary can be sarcastically polite...definitely changed the numbnuts to detective...lol...I love any suggestions you guys think this fic needs.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews!**

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_He swirled back to her when he reached the door, "Stop telling me what to do! Don't expect me home tonight, I'll stay at a hotel."_

_The door opened and shut behind him, she stood staring at the empty space he had left behind._

Pulling out her cell phone she dialed and waited, as soon as the other line was picked up she asked in her southern twang, "Hey Jefferson, how is your courtship of Mary Shannon going?"

"Not so good, she keeps shooting me down. Are you sure she likes to be pursued with this much aggression?" he asked confused. No woman had ever treated him like Mary did, no woman had ever shot him down period. He knew he was a good looking man, which now had him confused about the inspector's attitude towards him every time she saw him.

"Oh, yeah. The more the man pursue her, the faster you'll get her into bed," she said adamantly, looking down at her nails.

There was a deep sigh from the other end and he said, "Well, I hope you're right. I really like her."

"Don't worry about it, she'll come around real soon. Have you asked her out?" she asked curiously looking down at her watch, she needed to get back to work soon.

"Yeah, every time I see her."

"What are you doing this weekend?"

"Why?" he asked afraid to know the answer.

"Well, I heard that she takes her kid to the park, maybe if you come across her with the little girl," she shrugged and continued, "Maybe if you 'bumped' into her as you jog around the park, you can get her talking about the child, last guy she met at the park she had a fling that lasted a few weeks."

"Which park would that be?" he immediately asked, now intrigued that something as trivial as getting to know her kid would benefit him in the pursuit.

"I'll text you the information later," she hung up and walked out the door, back to her office. She was concerned that Marshall had threatened to stay at a hotel, but she shrugged because she knew that it would all blow over and he would come home that night.

* * *

In the wee hours of the night, Abigail woke up and moved to cuddle with Marshall, but found his spot cold and empty. She sat up and looked over at his side of the bed, she found that they were exactly how she had left them before going to bed.

It dawned on her that Marshall had kept his word, she reached for her cell phone, she had managed to be a heavy sleeper because of both her job and his. The constant calls throughout the nights or early morning managed to help her sleep through any noise he would've done while trying to leave. She didn't want to believe that he would stay out on purpose, then grew concerned that maybe an emergency at the office had kept him away.

The call went to voicemail a few rings later, she pulled it away from her ear and stared at it in surprise. Abigail couldn't believe that Marshall was as upset as it seemed he was, but sending her call to voicemail proved that he was.

She tried again a few more times, but every time her call would go to voicemail. She slumped back against her pillows and punched his pillow a few times in frustration, "Damn it Marshall! Answer your phone!"

* * *

Marshall lay on his back, he heard his cell phone ring a few times and automatically knew who the caller was. He was still upset, so he didn't bother picking up. After it had gone silent, he picked up his cell phone and saw the missed call from his fiancée.

It was 3am, which meant that she had gone to bed thinking that their argument would blow over and he would come home. He knew that he was a pushover, but this time he thought that his fiancée had gone too far to keep Mary away from him. What Abigail didn't know was that Marshall was fed up with all the changes that occurred since he asked Mary to release him.

He sighed and rolled to his side, his cell phone went off again, but again he just ignored it. He wasn't in the mood to talk to her, at least not over the phone, there were discussions better left for a face to face situation. After the sixth or seventh call, he couldn't recall because he stopped counting, he reached over and turned off his cell phone.

Mary walked out of her room and found him lying on her couch, she had heard his cell phone going off several times. Curiosity won out and she got out of bed to go see if Marshall was awake, she wouldn't have bothered him, but had seen him shifting on the couch, a sign that he was up.

She moved over to him and sat on the coffee table across from his lying form, next to his now turned off cell phone, she reached out and pushed a stray lock away from his face, "Are you okay?"

He shrugged and slowly nodded, when she arched an eyebrow to challenge him, he said, "It's alright. Thanks for letting me crash here."

"Let you? I practically kidnapped you!" she chuckled as she remembered.

_After the spat with Abigail earlier in the day, Marshall had gone back to the office and had gone straight back to work in his office. Mary and Delia had looked up when he walked into the office, both startled to see him back, they couldn't ignore the thunderous look in his eyes._

_Later that evening, Delia excused herself, walking over to Mary's desk, "What do you think happened?"_

_Mary shrugged, "I don't know and I don't care. So long as that douche leaves me alone."_

_Delia stared hard at Mary's profile and murmured, "What are you going to about him?"_

_"What am I going to do about him? Nothing…" she trailed off._

_"Come on, he's your best-friend, why don't you go talk to him," Delia advised with a pout on her lip, Mary couldn't help but feel the same way._

_Looking up at her partner Mary muttered aggressively, "What exactly should I talk to him about? We're not…we're not supposed to be close anymore."_

_"I can't believe you released him," Delia's hands on her hips as she shook her head in denial, Mary had confided in the younger inspector only when she kept pestering about why she and Marshall weren't hanging out anymore, Mary finally exploded and told her what Marshall had asked on the balcony._

_"Yeah, well, me neither," she finished on a heavy sigh. "I'll see what I can do."_

_Delia smiled confidently, knowing that her powers of persuasion had worked yet again, "Great! See you later partner!"_

_Mary rolled her eyes and saw her get into the elevator, once the elevator doors had closed, she had gotten up and walked around her desk and towards his office._

_She found him hunched over his paperwork, which seemed to her that kept growing much as he tried to overwork himself. She stared at him for a few seconds, but when it was apparent that he wouldn't look up, she cleared her throat, "Hey Chief."_

_Marshall looked up, a startling shock look on his face, Mary hadn't initiated a conversation since she released him out on the balcony, he looked over around her and hadn't noticed Delia walk out of the office. He looked back into Mary's green gaze, "Hey"_

_"Are you okay?" she asked as she finished walking into his office, sitting on a chair across from him._

_Again he looked startled at the question, he had thought that she really didn't care about him anymore, he inwardly scolded himself for doubting her, he shrugged, "I'm sorry"_

_It was Mary's turn to look at him in surprise, "What are you sorry about?"_

_"Everything…" he trailed off._

_"Define everything"_

_"The balcony…me asking you to release me of a promise…the stupid dinner fiasco…"_

_"Don't say fiasco," she reprimanded as she cut him off with a mock scowl on her face. "And there isn't anything to be sorry about, I understood what you asked and I think I owed you that much."_

_He shrugged nonchalantly and slowly nodded, "It was still wrong."_

_"Eh, anything for happiness, right?" she asked a bit too brightly, which he saw right through, he hadn't been partners with her for so long without learning her tricks of avoiding emotional situations._

_"Not anything, not a friendship like ours," he groaned as he rested his head on the back of his chair, running his fingers through his hair._

_"Well, it is what it is," she murmured as she leaned forward in her seat, "Are you okay?"_

_He lifted his head and locked eyes with hers, he could see her genuine concern, "I will be…"_

_"Want to talk about it?" Mary inwardly groaned, she hated to talk about feelings and now she was trying to find out what he was feeling._

_Marshall shrugged again, unsure of where to begin, "I don't want to go home tonight, so I guess I have to find a hotel."_

_"No you don't," she chastised._

_"I don't? But I don't want to go home, Abigail and I…well…we're not exactly…" he drawled and stopped, not even sure how to finish that train of thought. **They were not what exactly? Together? Not talking to one another? Taking a break?**_

_Mary nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I know what you mean."_

_He looked at her and smiled, understanding without the explanation, the many times she had crashed at his place when she fought with her own fiancé or sister and her mother._

_Without thinking too much she blurted, "You'll come stay with me."_

_Again he looked at her startled, shock evident in his blue gaze, "I am?"_

_"Yes, yes you are. It's late, why don't we just carpool. Grab your go-bag and let's go. We'll order pizza, like old times," she offered, still shocked that she had offered as much._

_Marshall stared at her as she walked out of his office to her desk, he logged out and straightened his desk before following her out of the office into the elevator._

He looked at her and smirked, remembering too. He shifted heavily, making her come back to the present. She noticed how he didn't particularly fit on her couch, but without another bed but hers and Norah's crib, the couch had been the only option.

Looking at him look uncomfortable, she reached out and took the hand lying on his chest, she pulled, "Come on, you can sleep in my bed, it'll be more comfortable than this old couch."

He held her hand and murmured, "Is that a good idea?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Pervis! We've slept in the same bed before, when we were partners, right?" she smirked asking, knowing full well that she needed her presence more than she needed him comfortable. She had missed him since the day she released him, later realizing the real reason why she was hurt he had asked to be released.

Marshall jumped up and pulled the pillow and blanket with him, not releasing her hand after she pulled him up, "Right"

* * *

Mary woke up in a cocoon of some sort, a heating cocoon to be precise, she tried to figure out what exactly was wrapped around her back, spooning her. The last few hours ran through her mind and she tensed, Marshall.

His hands were wrapped around her belly, pressing her bottom to his hardness. She didn't want to wiggle, even though she was fighting an internal battle from trying to feel the length of him. He groaned and pulled her even closer, his face buried in the nape of her neck. His stubble rubbing on her sensitive skin, sensitive from the feel of him, his even breaths hot on her neck.

She fought hard not to groan or moan, she went from zero to a hundred within seconds after opening her eyes, which were now tightly shut, fighting an internal battle with her body.

After a few minutes, yes a few minutes to savor his body and the hardness, along with his breathing, to put herself together and pull herself free of his embrace. He mumbled, "Don't go" before releasing her and burying his face into the pillow she had just abandoned.

She looked back at him and ran her hands through her hair, releasing a shaky breath. _What the hell was that? He's **engaged** Shannon, you can't go on like that. _One last look and she walked into the bathroom in the hallway, not wanting to bother him.

* * *

**TBC...spoiler! (close your eyes and don't read if you don't want to know) I don't ever intend on having Mary sleep with anyone but Marshall...lol...I don't know if I'm that kind of writer yet. A few more chapter...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews! You guys make my day shine!**

* * *

Marshall had woken up a few minutes before Mary had come awake, he hadn't felt this good since the last time he had spent a night in the same bed as his former partner when they travelled together. Nothing he had ever done with his fiancée had ever felt as good and perfect as just holding a sleeping Mary.

He had fought with his body, but his body refused to budge. He had become hard the minute that he registered that he was spooned around Mary's back. As much as he tried to disentangle himself from around her, he just couldn't. And if he was honest with himself, he didn't want to move, he wanted to continue to cuddle, spoon, have his body pressed against hers for as long as she let him.

The minute that he felt her come awake, he buried his face into the nape of her neck and feigned sleep, trying hard to even his breathing and not give himself away. He was trying to save both of them the awkwardness of waking in each other's arms. But the moment she moved slightly he couldn't help but go with his instincts, pulling her closer to his already aroused body.

He felt the moment she realized that he had his arms around her, she had tensed and froze at the feel of his hard flesh pressed intimately against her soft bottom. Holding her still against his inflamed body, he felt her wiggle closer, almost causing him to groan aloud.

He did the next best thing, he rubbed his face deeper into the nape of her neck, sighed contentedly and kept up the pretense of sleep.

After a few minutes, the minutes he took to savor the moment he finally had Mary in his arms. That thought alone almost had him tensing, making it obvious that he was awake, but he managed to fake it long enough.

He almost moaned the loss of her in his arms when she shifted and moved away from his embrace, he couldn't hold back a sleepy, "Don't go," before she was off the bed.

Not wanting to get caught at his own game, he buried his face in her pillow, pulling it closer to his chest. It was close to the next best thing, having her scent linger as she left the room.

When he heard the shower running, he groaned at the state of his arousal. The thought of Mary in the shower with him in her bed, had him almost in tears. Then he did freeze when he remembered why him in the shower with his former partner would be a bad idea.

Abigail Chaffee. His fiancée. _How easily did I forget her?_

He sat up and scrubbed his face, rubbing the stubble on his jaw, with a grimace he got up and folded the blankets Mary had let him borrow the night before, which were now a heap on the floor next to the bed, apparently in his sleep, he had gotten under her blankets and spooned her.

The thought of his fiancée had him feeling like a heel. He couldn't believe he was cuddling with his best-friend and enjoying it, when he hadn't been intimate with his fiancée in quite a while.

Marshall didn't even want to recall the argument that ensued after Abigail tried to get frisky with him. It had been a few weeks since they had been intimate, both their jobs had become very demanding and the paperwork had them both coming home at different odd hours during the day or night for a few hours of shut eye.

Delia and Mary had-had their share of paperwork and problem witnesses to contend with, after pulling an all-nighter trying to locate a witness' troubled teenager, he had gone home to find it empty. He had been thrilled at the fact that he would have the house and his bed all to himself, but Abigail had come home a few hours after he had zonked out.

_Abigail had driven home in hopes to find Marshall, since after calling his office they had informed her that he was not in the office at the moment. When she turned onto their street, she had been so excited that she had parked her car and ran out of her car and into the house._

_She had found Marshall fast asleep in their bed, under the blankets, she hadn't seen him since the morning before last. She pulled off her blazer and let it hit the floor, jumped out of her slacks and pulled her blouse off without undoing the buttons._

_Marshall came aware that someone was in the room, he reached for his gun and rolled onto his back, point the barrel of the gun into Abigail's shocked face._

_He pulled the weapon away from her face and onto the bedside table, "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry Abs, you just caught me off guard."_

_"N-no, don't worry about it. Hazards of the job, I suppose," she chuckled nervously, standing in only her panties and bra. Shaking off the fear that had ran over her body, she smiled broadly at her fiancée, moving her hands up and down her body and said, "Ta-da!"_

_He looked at her quizzically and frowned, "Ta…da?"_

_"I'm naked or almost naked, you can do the rest," she winked at him as she came onto the bed, a knee on the bed and he jumped out._

_Her startled gaze followed him, he had jumped up and was now shrugging back into his jeans in nervous jerky movements._

_"What's the matter?" she asked a bit hurt from his reaction._

_"I…uh…I forgot I had to go back into the office…paperwork and stuff," he drawled softly, not meeting her eyes._

_She moved around the bed and kept to a stop in front of him, running her hands up and down his chest, a mock pout on her lip, "Awww, come on, I'm sure we can have a quickie and you'll be back to work in no time."_

_"No, I have to go now," he muttered as he removed her hands and walked around her, grabbing his blazer from the back of the closet door._

_"No? What kind of answer is that? Marshall…we haven't been…together in some time," she muttered angrily. _

_"I have to go," he said without meeting her eyes and walked to the door, stepping over her discarded clothing._

_"Do you really? Or do you want to leave because you don't want me?" she challenged as he reached the threshold._

_He stopped with his back to her and sighed heavily, murmuring under his breath, "I have to go."_

He shook his head from his reverie and thought back to that day. How could he have stayed? When she hadn't aroused any sexual instinct in him when he saw her practically naked in their bedroom. He hadn't wanted to embarrass her by not getting aroused, causing him to just slip away and back to the office.

Marshall heard the shower stop and he walked into the shower in her bedroom, not bothering with warm water; he got under the cold spray. Willing his hardness to go down, before the inspector in the other bathroom would have his hide. He chuckled at his own sense of humor.

* * *

Mary heard the shower go off in her own bathroom and released a sigh of relief, after waking up in his arms, the last thing she wanted to do was get her bearing back. She still felt shaky and achy in some personal places, clenching her inner muscles, she groaned in frustration and began to get dress.

She walked into eleven month old, Norah's bedroom and found her sitting in her crib playing with her stuff animal, when the baby heard the door, she turned and gave her mother a toothless grin as she crawled to the crib's rail. She pulled herself up and cried, "Mama! Up Mama!"

"Good morning Bug," she picked her daughter off the crib and walked over to the changing table, after the little sprite was ready for the day, she took her into the kitchen.

Once in her high chair, Mary poured a few cheerios onto the highchair's table. The baby went to work picking one cheerio at a time.

Mary could hear her former partner turned boss, move around in her bedroom, she couldn't help but think how natural he sounded in there. She could guess he was picking up after himself, which she knew would mean he was picking up after her. All his stuff had been left in the living room.

When she heard her bedroom door open, she blushed furiously and turned her back to his entrance, willing her face to lose the color. She poured him a cup of coffee and when she heard Norah squeal in delight she turned.

There in the middle of the kitchen, Marshall held her daughter in his arms, kissing her all over the face, cheeks and neck. Producing the child to squeal even louder.

She placed the mug on the countertop and pushed it in his general direction.

Marshall had walked into the kitchen expecting to go through the awkwardness of their situation, the nervousness of her calling him out for cuddling with her. But to his good fortune, the little person he had totally forgotten when he tried to get frisky with her mother, was there, on her high chair. Norah. He felt the nervousness roll of his back as he reached her, picking her up into his arms and holding her tight in his embrace.

He had missed the little girl, Mary had kept her away from the office and him since he spoke to her on the balcony. A swell of pride that Mary had respected him enough to release him poured over his soul, but the sorrow of losing out of seeing the baby grow stemmed the flow a bit.

He looked over at the blushing Mary and grinned at her, "She's gotten so big!"

Mary nodded and smiled feebly at the pair, they made the perfect couple in her eyes. Her child in the arms of a man like Marshall, she couldn't deny that she was glad that Mark stuck around, but her daughter looked just perfect in her former partner's arms. Making her feel guilty for feeling that way.

Norah's little hands came around his neck and pulled him close, trying to bite him on his chin with her tiny incisors. Holding his head pressed against her chubby little face.

Mary couldn't help herself, she chuckled at the sight and without a second thought said, "I guess you're a keeper."

Marshall looked startled at her and nodded with the goofy grin back in place, "Of course, I am!"

* * *

**TBC...of course he is! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

After their lengthy breakfast consisting of pancakes, which Marshall prepared with Norah in his arms, they migrated to the living room.

They sat on her couch, the couch in which he had started the night off, making Mary blush as she recalled waking up in his arms. She looked at her daughter play with her toys on the floor in front of them, hoping the awkward tension that settled between them would go away. She refused to make eye contact with her former partner, not while her body was still humming in remembered arousal.

Marshall kept shooting her sideway glances, he noticed the blush creep up her cheeks and wished just this once, he would like to know what exactly made her blush. Another thought entered his mind, he would really like to know if her whole body would blush just as prettily as the rosy of her cheeks. He rubbed his face in frustration.

Breakfast had been too busy with him preparing pancakes and Mary setting the plates on the table for any awkwardness. For a few minutes, he could envision his life with Mary and Norah as a family. His heart had soared in glee, but plummeted as he recalled a certain brunette that had called him multiple times in the early hours of the morning.

When Mary was sure that the blush had disappeared from her cheeks, she turned to him and smiled feebly at him, softly asking, "So, what are your plans for the day?"

He shrugged replying, "I don't know. Maybe spend the day with you and Norah, if that's okay with you."

"That would be fine, but…what…shouldn't you call…I mean," she stopped and looked back at her daughter, unsure really of what she was trying to say. _Seriously Mare? Since when do you get nervous talking to Doofus?_ She thought, but her conscious prodded her, _Well, maybe since you woke up, with his hard body pressed against yours._

She blushed anew and shook her head, "I meant to say, shouldn't you, I don't know, call your fiancée?"

Marshall stared at the little girl playing with her cubes, when she looked up at him and locked green eyes to his blue, she shot him a toothy grin. He turned to her and said, "I'd rather hang out with you and Miss Norah."

"Seriously Doofus, Miss Norah? Anyways, we're really not going to be doing much. I'm probably going to take her to the park and push her on the swings for a little while," she warned looking sideways at him.

He shrugged again, nodding towards the toddler, "I don't mind. I haven't spent enough time with her."

"Fine, I'll get her things ready," she stood up and walked around back of the couch. With her luck as of late, she would trip and land on his lap. With her head down, to cover the deep blush that flushed her face with the curtain of her blonde locks, she walked into the little girl's room.

* * *

Abigail paced the living room in frustration, Marshall still hadn't shown up at home and refused to pick up earlier in the morning, but now it got worst, he hadn't turned on his cell phone. She flopped down on a chair and pulled her cell phone out, dialing, "Hello?"

The groggy voice on the other end had her clenching her jaw, "Jefferson? Are you still sleeping?"

"Um, yes?" he questioned softly, sleep still coating his voice.

She stood up and wrapped one arm around her as she held the cell phone on the other, she reproached him, "You should be at the park, waiting for Mary and her kid."

Jefferson sat up in bed and rubbed his eye, as he looked around at his bedside table, his alarm clock showed 10am. He groaned because he had been up late in regards to a case and had gotten to bed at 4am, he murmured, "Can't this wait for another day? Maybe tomorrow? I had a case…"

"I don't care!" she cut him off aggressively and then shook her head, rapidly changing her tone to her usual soft twang, "I'm so sorry, I just know that you and Mary could be good for one another."

The emotional change from harshly cold to sympathetic cheerful attitude had Jefferson worried to have trusted the detective; he scrubbed his unshaven jaw thoughtfully and shook his head in denial, believing the latter explanation. He really wanted to believe it, because he really wanted the blonde marshal in his bed, soon.

No other woman had ever turned him down, laughed at him for asking her out, most women threw themselves _at_ him, which really bothered him that the inspector wouldn't give him the time of day. He frowned in confusion, he had never had to work so hard to get a woman. Which made Mary that much more desirable, he knew that there would be fireworks if he ever got her into bed. _His_ bed.

"Alright, I'm up, gonna shower before going on this supposed 'run', he stressed the last word as he hung up without waiting for a reply from Abigail, muttering, "This chick is crazy."

* * *

Mary drove them to the park and turned off the engine, they sat in the car, staring out into the park. There were a few kids running here and there, a family having a barbecue to the right side. A couple of college students in the tennis courtyard to the left and a few kids on the playground.

She turned to Marshall and sighed, "You ready for this?"

"Aren't I always ready?" he turned to her and smiled, the smile not reaching his eyes.

She frowned at him and scowled, "Are you sure you should be here? Maybe you should go find your fiancée and fix…"

"NO! I'm fine. I just…I want to spend the day with you and Norah, can't we just do that?" he looked away after his outburst, watching the tennis match going on. He was angry with his fiancée, he just really wanted to spend the day with his two favorite blondes.

"Fine, but if you want to go…I'll be fine. I promise not to get mad," she said softly.

"Let's just go out there and show Miss Norah back there a good time on the swings," he opened the door and stepped out, only to have his cell phone go off.

Mary joined him next to the van and opened the side door, pulling Norah out she kept an eye on him through the corner of her eye. He pulled his cell phone out, which he coincidently turned back on when they left Mary's house, and sighed audibly.

It was Abigail, Mary didn't even have to ask, she touched his arm and nodded towards his phone, "You should get that."

Marshall looked at her and then down at his cell phone, he nodded and locked eyes with her, "I'll be right with you girls in a bit, okay?"

She scowled at him as she walked away, "I'm no girl!"

He chuckled and murmured softly under his breath, "Yes, you are…you're _my_ girl."

"This is Marshall," he answered curtly, letting the caller know, even if it was his fiancée, that he wasn't in the mood for any interruption.

"Marshall, honey? It's me Abigail," she sounded concerned, which made Marshall feel even worst for enjoying his time with Mary and Norah, yet he wouldn't regret these moments.

"Yeah, what do you need?" he asked tersely, running his fingers through his windswept hair.

There was a pause, Abigail was now worried that her matchmaking attempts were going to cause a riff between her and her fiancé, "Sugar britches, you never came home last night. Is everything alright at work?"

"I wasn't at work, I recall letting you know that I would be spending the night at a hotel," he informed her, unsure if it was a lie, but it really wasn't a lie if he really thought about it. He recalled the heated conversation, he had said he would spend the night at a hotel, the fact that Mary had convinced him to stay with her was a different matter.

Another lengthy pause, before Abigail exploded, "Are you serious?! I can't believe that you're letting Mary get in the way of our relationship! Why is she so damn precious that Jefferson can't date her?"

"Mary isn't getting in the way of our relationship," he hissed into the phone, he didn't want to attract unwanted attention from passerby's, "_You're_ the one getting in the way!"

"WHAT? I'm getting in the way? Of what relationship exactly are we talking about? Our relationship or the relationship between you and Mary?" she challenged, mocking his relationship with his former partner.

He frowned and shook his head, "I don't know what you're trying to say, so you better talk fast."

Abigail stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the chair, she hadn't left home in hopes that Marshall would eventually show up, but when he still hadn't shown up, she had called him.

She had been glad to hear the phone ring instead of going straight to voicemail. But now she wasn't sure if she should continue this discussion over the phone, for the first time Marshall Mann was showing that he really _did _have a backbone, chewing on her lower lip she murmured, "Sweetheart, I'm just saying…don't get mad, just…I just want you to…"

"What the hell!" Marshall had been waiting for an explanation when he looked up to locate Mary, afraid that she would be able to overhear his argument with his fiancée when he saw Jefferson hunched down to Norah's level on the swing. He was smiling down at the child and tickled her side, she shrieked and pulled away.

* * *

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

Jefferson had been waiting on the far side of the park when he spotted Mary walking into the park with her child in her arms, he hadn't even noticed Marshall by Mary's van on his cell. He got off and stretched a little, he ran around and jumped a few times, trying to look like he had indeed been working out. Once he felt secure that she would believe that he was running in the park, he started to jog towards her, taking the long way there.

As soon as he was besides her he called out, "Hey Mary! Fancy seeing you here. Didn't take you for an outdoor's kind of girl."

Mary froze mid swing push and slowly turned with a scowl and glare towards him, "Are you kidding me? This is called _stalking_, your job as a detective does not exempt you from the violation. And it's _Inspector_ Shannon."

"Sorry, _Inspector _Shannon, is this your little girl?" he moved over to the toddler and tickled her side. She squirmed away from him and reached out to Mary, wailing in fear.

"Can you get away from my kid please?" she admonished as she pulled Norah out of the swing and into her arms. Her little hands holding onto her neck, her face burrowed into her shoulder, away from Jefferson.

She couldn't believe he had shown up at the park, the park in which she took her daughter on her days off. Her top blew up, muttering through clenched teeth, mindful of Norah in her arms, "If you come near me or my daughter _ever_ again, I'll get a restraining order. I don't know how much clearer to get, than I don't like you, I don't plan on ever dating you; just leave me the hell alone."

"I would suggest you listen to the Inspector, detective. I wouldn't want to have to call your superiors and exchange words with them about your unwanted attention," Marshall had gone ballistic when he had seen Norah cry out. He had hung up the call from his fiancée and jogged over to Mary and Norah. He caught the menacing words from Mary and he backed her up.

The last thing Marshall wanted was another Kenny in Mary's life, or another man period. After this debacle, there were a lot of things that he needed to clear up with his fiancée and Mary.

"Look, I just wanted to get to know you better," he spoke to Mary without acknowledging the warning coming from Marshall.

"I don't want you to," she spoke brusquely. "Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"Why not? Maybe if you…give it a chance," Jefferson advised, looking at Marshall with his peripheral vision. The tall lanky Inspector was looking rather pissed off, which made Jefferson think there was more to it then Abigail was letting on.

"Detective, I think you need to go," warned Marshall from his stance besides Mary, his arm going around her waist possessively, pulling her closer to his body. Claiming her as his with the detective.

Something that didn't go unnoticed by either Mary, which looked up at him with a curious smirk, and the detective, which noticed their interaction.

"I didn't know I was stepping on any toes, aren't you supposed to be engaged to Detective Chaffee?" Jefferson folded his arms across his muscled chest and looked at them with a smug expression in his eyes, like he had caught them cheating.

Marshall released Mary and stepped forward, invading Jefferson's personal space. He stood almost toe to toe with the other man, Jefferson being a few inches shorter than him and warned, "I would think twice before trying to cheapen my relationship with my best-friend."

Jefferson's hands flew up and a blush fused his face, "Sorry dude, I didn't mean no insult. I'm new in town, I really thought the Inspector here and I could've hit it off."

"In your dreams, buddy," Mary muttered as she started to walk away, Marshall's boldness had shifted something inside of her, something that scared and thrilled her at the same time. She wasn't supposed have these feelings for her best-friend, her confidante. _He's engaged Mary! That alone makes him off limits._

Jefferson shrugged nonchalantly and started to back away, "Alright then, see you guys later."

"Sure, but only on a case and on the field," Marshall advised at the detective's retreating form. He turned back to Mary and she was already halfway to her van, he rubbed the nape of his head and with his head down followed her.

* * *

Jefferson cursed under his breath at being handed his ass in the playing field by a best-friend, something that he was beginning to feel doubtful about. Pulling his cell phone out he dialed Abigail.

Abigail was putting her cell phone back together, she had thrown the phone when Marshall had aggressively hung up on her with a cursed _What the hell_, which left her to ponder what that had meant. She had gotten so angry for his outburst that she had swung the phone across the room, when she heard it chatter she walked over and inspected the damage.

She groaned and picked up the pieces, it had only come apart, putting the battery back in she turned it right back on. She was about to call him back and grill him when it went off, smiling she answered, "Hello"

"Chaffee, Jefferson here," he was curt.

"Oh, so? Did it work? Are you calling to gloat?" she asked feeling giddy.

Jefferson frowned and muttered, "Hell no! Your boyfriend was here with her and they both got their jabs at me."

"Wait what? My boyfriend? Are you talking about Marshall? My fiancée?" she closed her eyes and tried to think up another _boyfriend _the detective was talking about.

"Yes, your fiancée was playing house with his Inspector. Baby in tow, I didn't see him at first, but after trying to talk to Mary he came up behind her," he informed annoyed to be in the middle of this drama.

"Marshall was with Mary and the kid?" she asked once again to make sure she had heard correctly.

"Yes, they were together. I tried to convince her that I was just trying to get to know her, but your fiancée couldn't keep his hands to himself, then he threatened to go to my superiors if I didn't leave her alone. As a matter of fact, I was just calling _you_ to let you know that I won't be pursuing the inspector anymore. I'm through," he muttered angrily before hanging up on her.

* * *

Abigail pulled the cell phone away from her ear and stared at it in shock; she couldn't believe that for the second time that morning another man had hung up on her within minutes of each call. She sat on the couch and stared down at her diamond ring, afraid that she had just ruined the best thing that had happened to her. Her jealousy had gotten the better of her and now she was afraid that she would be left to pick up the pieces alone.

* * *

Marshall drove the minivan back to Mary's place and helped her get Norah out of the vehicle, they walked into her house and he went to put the little girl down for her nap. He was sitting on the carpeted floor, next to the crib. After whispering to her sweet nothings, she fell asleep.

Mary leaned against the door frame and stared at him in awe, she had never been able to put her down that fast and that easy before. The little girl would always fuss and cry until Mary was near tears herself and gave up, putting her in the playpen, only to have her fall asleep within minutes.

He stood up and stared down at the little girl, to make sure she wouldn't wake. He turned to her and feebly smiled at her, he moved over to her and she straightens up. He stopped a breath away from her and looks into her eyes, "Are you okay?"

She shrugs and nods, "I'm fine. I should be asking _you _that."

"I'm sorry…" he began.

But she cut him off, "Don't…don't be sorry for something that you didn't cause."

"Well, not directly," he offered with a guilty shrug.

She turned around and walked out of the child's room, she didn't want to have this discussion anymore. He followed close behind, reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling her around to a stop.

Mary swirled back at being pulled and landed on his chest with a thud, "What?"

"Stop running away," he murmured looking into her eyes, he saw something flicker in her green gaze, but she closed her eyes tight.

He sighed against her face and rested his forehead to hers. And waited.

Mary closed her eyes when he was so close to her, she couldn't deny it to herself any longer. She was in love with her former partner, her best-friend, the best man to ever walk into her life, but she was afraid of the what ifs.

What if he didn't love her? What if he chose the detective? What if it was too late for them? Which she knew would be a big possibility. What if they got their chance and she blew it? Too many what ifs.

She held onto his shoulders as he pulled her in closer to his body, his hands on her waist preventing her escape. He kept his eyes on her face, running his eyes all over her features from this close up inspection. When he couldn't take it anymore, he raised a hand to cradle her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek, causing her to gasp.

Slowly, breathing harsh to her ears, he dropped his lips to her and kissed her. She reveled in the heat of his lips, clutching at his shoulders to keep him close, going up on her toes to be closer to his height. Foregoing her boots for sneakers for their trip to the park, cursing for being a lot shorter than him.

Mary threaded her fingers into Marshall's hair, holding him in place. His lips twisted to apply more pressure. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, sucking on her lower lip, she wriggled impatiently. With barely a pause, he dragged in a breath, slid his own fingers into her loose blonde locks, the locks he had dreamed of touching without her scorn, pressed his lips back to hers, eating at her mouth until she thought she might die.

He drew back and she drew in a quick breath, desperate not to miss a moment of this exquisite torture. She had no idea that kissing Marshall could be so eye opening, he kissed like it would never be enough.

Marshall's kissed a trail down her jaw to her throat, before coming back to her lips, like they beckoned to him. He stayed a little longer this time, thrusting against hers as if he wanted to devour her. She groaned, he moaned and pulled her infinitely closer still, an impossible feat since she had her arms wrapped around his neck, he had widen his stance and she was standing between them. Their bodies fused together from lips to hips, making her aware of the state of his body.

His hands had trailed slow caresses from her face down to her waist, wrapping his strong arms around her waist, rubbing a hand down to her bottom and clutching.

She moaned and tore her lips away, she rasped, "We ca-can't…we need to stop."

He groaned as he dropped his head to her shoulder, pulling her bottom up and rubbing his hardness to her soft center.

"I know, but give me a minute," he snarled in frustrated arousal. Both aroused and confused, but never forgot that there was a person that wouldn't let them move forward, Abigail Chaffee.

"Take all the time you need," she murmured into his neck with a smirk. Marshall took a step back and pulled her with him towards the couch, once he lay on it he pulled her to lay next to him. She slid besides him, wrapping an arm around his waist, her leg over his thigh and rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

* * *

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the reviews!**

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She awoke startled as her body jumped; she clenched her eyes trying to concentrate on any noise, trying to figure out what had woken her, realizing that she had fallen asleep. When she went to move, she found herself held in a tight embrace. In sleep, Marshall had moved, his leg wedged between hers, his head under hers and his left hand holding her bottom, while the other held her head against his.

Mary felt his lips against a sensitive spot behind her ear, as he breathes a sigh of contentment. In seconds, her body went from nice comfortably warm don't-want-to-move to I-need-this-man-deep-inside-me intense white hot heat. She gasped as he nuzzled deeper into the sensitive spot, her hands coming up from their previous location, around his shoulder, into his hair. Without giving her body any instructions, she tilted her hips and pressed hard against the thigh he held against her soft center.

Marshall moaned at the sensation of her hands deep inside his hair, scratching his head. He moved his lips over her neck and licked a trail of blazing heat to her ear, suckling the lobe into his mouth.

She groaned and began the age old dance against his thigh; she couldn't get enough of him. He pulled her thigh over his waist and shifted, managing to grind his hardness against her soft center.

They moaned in unison and they continued their friction fully clothed, Marshall's left hand migrated from her bottom, up under her shirt, cupping her breast through her bra. He softly rubbed his thumb over the nipple, feeling it pebble at the ministrations. His mouth was everywhere, it would go to her neck, over to her shoulder, right back to her neck, placing a trail of kisses up to the spot he had found that made her gasp. Licking behind her ear, he reveled in silence at her gasp, loving that reaction.

He managed to pull her under him, her long legs managed to wrap around his waist, he bucked over her. His hands tilting her hips as he thrust against her soft center, she whimpered in pleasure and arched under him.

Marshall couldn't believe that she was so responsive to his every touch, every caress, he felt like he was on top of the world. Pressing her against the couch, his hands travel up her sides, as soon as he reached the edge of her shirt, he pulls it up and off. Once the shirt was off its shucked to a corner of the living room, her bra following close behind.

He stared down at her exposed flushed breasts, staring in awe as his hands caressed up and down her sides. He felt himself grow harder than he had ever been in his life. He uttered a curse under his breath and his right hand came up to cup the fullness of her breast, brushing her nipple with his thumb.

She groaned and looked up into his face, gasping at the intense desire she sees there. And gasps again when he removes his hand, only to trail his index finger around and around the areola, not touching the pebble nipple.

He looked up and locked his darken blue eyes to her green, "You have freckles on your breasts."

Mary blushed furiously and tried to look away but the intent in his eyes wouldn't give her that option, she murmured as she stroked his temple, "Do you hate them?"

He wasn't sure how he could form any thoughts let alone words but he managed on a low growl, "They're one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen."

He dropped his head to show her just how much he liked them, with his tongue, he traced a hot, wet path over the spray of small, pale brown flecks. She squirmed and thrust up onto his hard manhood, her hands lost in his brown locks as she pulled him closer on a strangled moan.

Finally, he drew one hard nipple into his mouth.

"Marshall," she whimpered, unable to hold still as he suckled first one, then the other breast, softly at first but at her first, "Harder." He suckled the nipple entirely into his mouth and sucked hard, using this tongue trapping her swollen nipple against the roof of his mouth. His attention solely on her pretty pink nipples.

"You are so incredibly beautiful, Mare," he muffled against her chest as he moved over to the other breasts and repeated the same attention.

She moaned in pleasure, her hands moving over to his shoulders and pulled him impossibly closer as she continued to thrust up against his rigid flesh.

His other hands migrated down to her bottom and clasped her hip in his large hand, as he steadied her for his hard thrust.

Her hands reached between them and opened the top bottom of his jeans, lowering the zipper hurriedness.

Then, "Mama!"

They froze, her hands inside his pants, his hands were one on her hip and the other on her exposed swollen breast, holding it up to his hungry mouth, and she was arched under him.

"Shit!" Marshall cursed as he collapsed on her, bracing his weight on his forearms. After a few seconds he sat up, her long legs unwrapped around his waist, but didn't move them away from him, one leg over his lap, the other behind butt. She lay there gasping for breaths, panting as her breasts jiggled every time she took in more air.

He stared down at the disheveled woman and closed his eyes as he reached down to the edge of his shirt, pulling it up and off, "Put this on, I don't know where yours…"

He didn't finish as he stood up and walked into Norah's bedroom, Mary hurriedly sat up and shrugged into the t-shirt. Cursing lewdly for forgetting not only that her daughter was in her room, but that Marshall was still engaged to Abigail. _What the hell were you thinking? He's engaged!_

A few minutes later, she heard him as he walked out and found Mary with her hands holding her head up as she leaned her elbows to her knees.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly as he tensely looked at her, worried that she was regretting what they had done. _Oh, here it comes, she regrets it already. Way to go Mann!_

"You're engaged," she whispered aggressively, then stood up and walked into her bedroom, her head down to keep the curtain of hair covering her face.

He stood unmoving in shock, he had forgotten that little tidbit, something that he would soon rectify. Praying for Mary's forgiveness, as he waited for her to come out of her room. He heard the shower running and sighed sadly, he knew she wouldn't be out soon.

Holding Norah in his arms, he sat back down and blushed at the thought that if Norah hadn't yelled for her mother, he would've made love to her. Glad that Norah had been around, he would rather break it off with Abigail before going any further with Mary.

With that thought in mind, he began to tickle the little girl, kissing her rosy cheeks and waited for her mother.

* * *

Mary stepped into the shower, standing under the shower spray with her hands braced against the tile and willed the guilt to slide down into the drain.

The guilt was eating at her because she never thought she would be a cheater, not after Raphael had cheated on her with his nurse, and even though Marshall was the one in a relationship and had cheated on his fiancée, she had helped him by being a willing participant.

But the guilt wasn't as strong as the fear. Fear that Marshall was playing the field, even though her rational mind told her that Marshall wasn't a bastard like that, her trust issues had her doubting not only him but herself as well. She was still afraid that he could potentially regret it, or worst, going ahead with the wedding to the detective.

_Dammit Mary! What the hell's gotten into you? What happened to being in control? You can't lose sight of the things you wanted for Marshall, like him being happy,_ her conscious drilled, but then her heart whispered, _We can make him happy. _

After she finished her shower, she stepped out and stared hard at herself, she could see a difference in her eyes. A light had gone on with Marshall's touch and she wasn't sure if she could let it go. She wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door, took two steps out when she came to an abrupt halt.

Marshall was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard, no longer shirtless, bouncing Norah on his knee. When he saw the door open, he looked up and saw her come out. As soon as she saw him, she froze in place and stared at him.

"Hey," he whispered softly, watching her like a hawk, she had walked out with a towel wrapped around her body and her hair fell limply down, dripping water onto the towel. After he had heard the shower, he had stayed out and played with Norah for a bit, enjoying any time he spent with the little girl.

But after a while, when Mary was still in the shower, he had walked into her room and waited her out. He had never been a cheater and he wasn't about to start now, even if he had started in both the bed earlier in the morning and later on the couch.

He had thought of going over to his place and breaking up with Abigail, but decided to clear the air where Mary was concerned. He needed to make sure she understood what their activities meant to him.

Mary opened her mouth and closed it, walking over to her dresser drawer and looked for her underwear.

"Mare?" he asked tentatively.

"What?" she snapped as she pulled out a pair of black undies along with the matching bra.

He sighed at her curt response, "I'm sorry"

She turned to him and frowned, "What exactly are you sorry about? Making out with me? Cheating on your fiancée? What? Just tell me!"

She exploded and glared at him, when he didn't respond quickly, she walked towards the bathroom.

He set Norah in the middle of the bed, pulling the pillows around her, "Don't move sweetie."

Marshall stopped the door from closing on his face, pushing it open and pulling her out roughly, "Wait a minute."

She tried to push him off, but he didn't budge, his arms wrapped around her waist, he lowered his head and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "Stop running."

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead to his chest, "What are we doing Marshall?"

The weight that had settled when she exploded eased a bit, resting his chin on top of her wet hair he murmured, "We're loving each other, Mare."

* * *

**TBC...up next, more lovin'? Break up? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for the reviews! This is a long chapter, but it was a necessary evil. Hope its not too long...enjoy! :)**

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Marshall opened the front door and took a breath before crossing the threshold. He was on his way to get over a necessary evil before moving on with his life with the one meant for him.

He turned closing the door, dropped his car keys on a tray by the door before moving further into the house. Looking around as he went, see if he could spot his fiancée, knew she was in because he had parked next to her car in the garage.

He shrugged out of his jacket in the living room and set it on the back of the couch. His hands rested on his hips as he looked over to their bedroom, tilting his head to hear if any noise came from that direction.

He stood there for a few moments, lost in thought. He had stayed over at Mary and Norah's all of Saturday, waking up with Mary in his arms for the second day in a row that Sunday morning, had him longing for those kinds of mornings for the rest of his life.

_"Hey," she whispered into his chest as she felt him wake._

_He had tugged her closer, pulling her thigh over his hip as he wedge his leg between hers, "Hey"_

_Mary had moved her head and kissed his Adam's apple before murmuring, "You have to go."_

_His hand traveled from her thigh up to the nape of her hair, keeping her lips against his neck, "I know, just…let me enjoy this moment. I'm going to need your strength."_

_She scoffed and pressed another chaste kiss and shook her head, "I'm not strong."_

_He pulled her head away, cupping her chin to bring her face up to meet her green eyes. He stared down at her and whispered against her lips, "You're the strongest person I know."_

_Mary closed her eyes and sighed, "You have to go now or you'll never leave."_

_"I know. I don't want to go, but I have to take care of things first," he said as he pulled away, almost rolled back into her arms when she moaned in loss._

A door swung open, snapping him out of his reverie, he turned and his eyes locked with his fiancée's. Abigail stopped and stared at him in surprise, she hadn't heard him come into the house, she could literally feel her blood run cold at the expression in his eyes.

She inwardly shook off the feeling of dread and grinned up at him, "Hello Honey Britches! I'm glad you're home, I was on my way to call you."

"Uh, okay, I actually came to talk to you," he started but she waved her hands and he stopped.

"We can talk _afterwards, _I cooked your favorite! I called your mother and she gave me the recipe. I hope it's as good or close as the one your mother cooks for you on your visits back home," she babbled non stop, pulling at his hand until she pushed him on the dinner table.

She disappeared back to the kitchen before he could voice an objection, he sat back on his usual seat at the end of the table and sighed regrettably. Hating the situation he had brought himself into by getting in deep with the woman that had just cooked him his favorite meal.

He rested his head back and waited for her to come back, he knew what she had seen in his eyes before she composed herself enough to bring forth her genuine smile, a smile that had not reached her eyes. Those eyes had looked panicked a second too long, giving him enough time to see it and inwardly flinch at the pain.

She walked back out with her smile still in place, a plate on each hand, the perfect homemaker, he could smell the chili as the steam rose from the plates.

Marshall looked down at his plate and smelled the aroma that arose from it, she hadn't even come close to the way he enjoyed his chili, he couldn't even smell his mother's secret ingredient. That alone told him that his mother hadn't believed he would end up with Abigail, she hadn't even trusted her enough to share the secret ingredient.

Marshall pushed the plate away and leaned back, as he looked back up to see her. He stared at her for a moment before he cleared his throat, "We need to talk."

She looked up at him, mock surprise on her face, "Don't you like chili? Your mother said it was your favorite."

He shook his head, "No, that's not what we need to talk about."

"Sugar Plum, can't it wait until after we eat? I'm sure whatever you have to say can be put on the back burner for a few minutes, right?" she asked, hopeful that he would take the bait, but she could see the determination in his eyes.

"No, I'd rather we talk first, I'm sure this is really good chili, but what I came to say is more important and can't really be put on the _back burner_," he stressed the last words and nodded to the living room. He rose and walked out of the dining room towards the living room.

Abigail sat perched on her chair and let out a shuddering breath before looking at her diamond ring, she shook her head and was determined not to let him go. She stood up and walked into the living room, walking towards him and pushing him onto the couch.

He frowned at her attitude, guessing that she had already figured out why he was there, but he would go about the conversation saving her the pain he was about to incur.

She went to sit on his lap sideways, but he managed to mangle her over next to him, she mock pout at him and scolded, "Sweetheart, what's gotten into you?"

"I think you already know the answer to that question, why you're trying to dissuade this much needed conversation, is beyond my comprehension," he moved over away from her and stood up, he trekked across the room and turned back to her.

She saw it, he was about to break up with her, she tried to inwardly brace herself for the impact, but she blurted, "I'm pregnant!"

He reared back in shock surprise, his mouth gaping open; he covered his opened mouth with his hand and closed his eyes. He couldn't go through with it, he couldn't break up with the mother of his future child. He shuddered at the thought that he would have to give up on Mary and actually go through with the wedding to Abigail.

Marshall opened his eyes and moved over to a chair, he flopped down and croaked, "How long?"

Abigail smiled and got up to go to him, but he shook his head at her as he raised a hand, not letting her near him. She smirked and answered, "About 5 or 6 weeks, I've been meaning to tell you, I just wanted to make it special for you. I'm sorry buttercup; I wish I could've told you sooner."

Marshall stared at her smile and couldn't help but notice that she didn't look any different, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he had seen a change in Mary when she had been pregnant with Norah. He had been sure he would see something similar in his fiancée when they created their own miracle.

He leaned forward, burying his face into his hands as he scrubbed them up and down. His blood ran icy cold through his body and shuddered that he had what he always wanted in reach and now he would possibly lose it forever. He wasn't sure Mary would stay after he told her the good news, because having a child whether it's with the woman he loved or not, was good news on his front. He would be a father to his own child and he would be damned before he turned his back on the unborn child.

When he finally composed himself, he looked up and locked his blue eyes to hers and nodded, "We're going to be parents."

She grinned and walked over to him, running her fingers through the hair on his temple, moving that hand down to cup his cheek, "You're going to be a father"

He smiled up at her and took her hand in his, squeezing the fingers with another nod. He stood up and pulled her into his embrace, holding her against him. He would have to make it work with his fiancée, even if it killed him to lose Mary and Norah. _I miss them already and they haven't left. How the hell am I suppose to survive without them?_

"Let's go finish our chili," she advised as she pulled him along behind her, back to the dining room.

Abigail felt like she was on top of the world, as she saw the resignation on Marshall's face, the knife twisted in her heart, but she had won the battle against Mary. She wouldn't go down without a fight, he had been meant for her and she wouldn't let Mary have him.

She saw him pick up the spoon, dip it in the chili, he was bringing it to his lips when he stopped mid-way, he put the spoon down in the bowl, "I need to use the restroom, wash my hands."

Marshall stood back up and walked away, going to their restroom in the bedroom and closed the door behind him, he needed a minute to come to terms with his loss. He stared at his reflection on the mirror and leaned back on the door, sliding down until he was sitting on the bathroom floor and had his head over his knees. The remorse rolled over his body and he shuddered in repressed emotion, if he cried, Abigail would be able to tell.

After a few moments sitting on the floor of the bathroom, he stood up and went to wash his hands. Taking his time washing each finger, over his wrist and up onto his forearm, he rinsed his hands, he turned to dry his hand on the hanging towel and looked over at the calendar hanging next to the towel.

He noticed a date towards the end of the month; they had been invited to the wedding of one of her close friends back in Texas. He closed his eyes at the thought of having to not only act around Abigail, so as not to cause his child any hard by upsetting her, but attend a special event and act like he was happy.

Opening his eyes again, he scanned the calendar for any other appointments, but then he noticed something that triggered his memory to work in overdrive. There were several little marks earlier that month, he reached over and tore the calendar off the wall, turning the pages he noticed the marks. They were period marks and then a memory triggered.

_He walked into their bedroom and found her in bed, with a pillow pressed to her lower abdomen; he had walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed beside her, "Are you okay?"_

_"I'll be fine sweetie, just the monthly visitor coming to make its presence," they had chuckled and he had pressed his large hand on her shoulder with a pained expression._

_"Sorry," he had murmured as he stared down at her, she had winced and closed her eyes, "Are you sure you're okay?"_

_She nodded, "I just took some strong painkillers, it'll be gone in no time."_

_"Alright, I'm going to shower and then I'll make some soup to help," he had gotten up and had left Abigail to rest while he went about the rest of the day._

He cursed under his breath at what that implied, Abigail had lied on purpose, and he didn't even want to imagine what her excuse would've been when she didn't grow with child. Would she have claimed a miscarriage? Would she try to get pregnant on purpose? But he would know she had lied anyways, he knew how to count and when the child wasn't born within the desired time. He shuddered anew at the callousness of the woman he had asked to marry.

Marshall thrust open the door, slamming against the wall as he walked out of the bedroom straight to the dining room, his jaw locked and his eyes darkened in anger.

He kicked the door leading to the dining room open, Abigail managed a yelp as she stood up away from the table, she turned to encounter the glaring look he shot her, locking his ferocious eyes with hers, through clench teeth he uttered, "How dare you?"

"Honey Br-britches, what's the matter?" she stuttered as she tried to act matter-of-factly.

"Cut the crap! You lied…you lied straight to my face!" Marshall didn't know how he was holding himself together, but the fact that she had tried to trap him into a loveless marriage with the promise of the much desired child, that had riled him like nothing else could.

Abigail gulped and shook her head, her brown curls bounced around her face as she stared at the calendar in his hands, she looked at his face and winced. He was flushed red, the vein on his forehead had popped out and he was breathing harshly through his nose.

Since she stood next to her chair by the dining table in shock, he dropped the calendar from his grasp and grabbed her shoulders, he shook her until her face scrunched up and tears started to roll down her face. Her hands covered her face and she sobbed into her hands, "I lo-love you! I can't ju-just give y-you up!"

As fast as his anger had surfaced, he pushed her away and turned his back to her, "That's not what I call love, that's just being a selfish bitch!"

"Se-selfish!? Ho-how can you ca-call _me_ a se-selfish bi-bitch?" she yelled to his back. Anger arose from her in droves, "The only selfish bitch is Mary!"

Marshall turned sharply around and glared at her, "How dare you? Mary would _never _fake a pregnancy to keep someone tied to her. You know…I won't…I can't…even look at you."

"Marshall I'm so, so sorry, I just didn't know what to do to make you see that we have something going here," she changed her tactic and tried to rationalize with him, convince him that he was better off with her. "If you're so desperate to have a baby, I'll give it to you."

He stared at her in astonishment, he couldn't honestly believe that he had thought he could be happy with the woman standing in front of him, he slowly moved his head from side to side in amazement, "I'm so _desperate_ to have? You'll just put your career on hold and have a baby with me?"

She nodded quickly, hoping that the promise of a child could still keep him by her side, "Yes, anything you want. We can start now if you'd like."

He stepped back as she stepped towards him and raised a hand to stop her, "Don't you even want to know why I wanted to talk to you before eating?"

Abigail stopped walking towards him and shook her head in denial, but deep down she knew his reasons, "No"

Marshall rolled his eyes and smiled feebly at her, "You could almost convince me that you indeed didn't know, but you know why I'm here."

"Not really, why don't you just tell me," she folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot on the tiled floor in impatience.

Shaking his head at her he said, "I was here to break up with you."

"Why? Because I tried to set up your _best-friend_? Surely that makes me the evil one, for caring to find the woman a good man that would really make her happy," she said sarcastically with a fake enthusiasm.

"Because you helped me realize that I don't want her to be with any other man," he confessed, staring at her and willing her to understand without the words. Because even after the lie she had uttered to his face, he couldn't be the gentleman that he was if he hurt her with a vengeful breakup.

Abigail stared at him and then the waterworks started again, she murmured, "I guess I'm not the only one that lied, you told me that you weren't in love with her."

He closed his eyes and shrugged, "I guess we both lied, but I truly thought that I was over her."

"So, now what?" she asked apprehensively, biting her bottom lip, tears still rolling down her face.

"Now, I guess I'll go and come back when you're not home. Take my things and that's it," he opened his eyes and looked her dead in the eyes, giving her no option to argue.

With tears rolling down her face, she moved over and sat on the chair she had abandoned, swiping the tears angrily with the back of her hand. If she was honest with herself, she was the only one to blame. All because she tried to set Mary up with another man, to get rid of her to have Marshall all to herself and now, all she would have of the inspector would be the memories.

Marshall watched her for a few minutes then turned and walked away.

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**TBC...Really thought long and hard, and decided to give you the whole break up together...I was tempted to leave it hanging(leaving you to believe she was really pregnant), per my usual, tun tun tun... **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews! WARNING! WARNING! Smut coming up, if you don't want to read, DO NOT CONTINUE!**

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Mary walked around her house in a daze as she cleaned after Norah, she had called Mark to come get her after Marshall had gone. She didn't know how she would take the news if Marshall decided to stay with his fiancée and she didn't want Norah to be witness.

After few hours of cleaning and washing to keep busy, she got into the shower and stayed under the spray until the water started running cold.

Marshall had left around noon, it was almost five and he still hadn't shown up, she sighed as she stepped out of the shower stall, reaching for a towel to wrap around her body.

She put on an old pair of sweats from her FTF days and went braless under a tank top, after drying her hair she pulled it into a tight ponytail.

She flopped down in front of the TV and channel surfed, waited, until she couldn't take it anymore, the waiting was killing her, but she couldn't call him either. She didn't have another option but wait him out, she groaned in frustration at being stuck not knowing.

Upon hearing the buzzer on the dryer, she got up and went to fold the clothes, more so to keep busy than the need to be neat. She was halfway done when she heard the door open and close. She froze for a few seconds, hearing his boots click on the tiled floor.

When she couldn't hold out any more, she walked out of the laundry room in search of her Mann, unsure of what to expect. With her stomach in knots, she turned into the living room and found him coming out of the bedroom, a frown upon his face.

"Hey," she murmured from her perch.

Marshall looked up and his eyes locked with hers, lighting up as he hurriedly walked to her, invading her space. He wrapped one arm around her waist and hauled her against his body as he held her head as he crushed his mouth to hers with a passion she never thought she would have again when he walked out that door earlier in the day.

His mouth was hot over hers, his tongue wild as it parted her lips and thrust inside. She put her hands on his shoulders, thinking to push him away and ask him what happened, but they wound their way around his neck and her fingers buried into the thickness of his hair.

He growled against her lips and pulled her hips close to his, so her softness pressed against the hardness behind his zipper. Moisture pooled between her thighs and throaty moans of pleasure escaped her lips.

He hitched her up so her long legs wound around his waist and carried her to the bedroom he had just left to go in search of her. He set her on the edge of the bed, his hands were everywhere, caressing, arousing, until she wasn't sure she could hold all the pleasure inside any longer. Marshall Mann was the only man that made her lose control like this, like enough was never going to be enough.

He kissed his way down her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin until she relaxed against him. He pulled her tank top up, so it rested just above her breasts, showing off her pretty pink nipples, he groaned in appreciation and went from being hunched over her, to being on his knees in front of her. His body the perfect height to be eye level with those mounds.

Mary watched as his eyes darkened to midnight blue with pleasure. He held her hands on each side of her, he couldn't stop staring at her breasts.

"Jesus, you're beautiful," he leaned over slowly and took a rigid nipple in his mouth, nipping gently before laving it with the flat of his tongue to soothe. "I don't think I'll ever get your taste out of my memory. So sweet. Like cream and something darker, something forbidden."

"Marshall," she moaned as she tried to take her hands back, but he held them fast against the bed. "Please."

He let her hands go, only long enough to pull her shirt off and tossed it behind him on the floor, taking her hands captive yet again; she struggled against his grasp, trying to break free of his hold. His mouth on hers as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, groaning in need as she tore her lips free.

"Dammit, I want to touch you," she growled. "Let me touch you Marsh…"

He cut her off as he kissed her. The minute he release her hands, they were all over his muscled chest, purring in pure female appreciation. His hands were buried in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt and raked her nails down his chest, causing him to shudder under her touch. She reveled in the power she held and moved her hands down, grabbing the shirt and pulling it up and off his body to join hers.

They were both panting against their lips as they took in their state of undress, both shirtless. He took control of the situation before she made him lose all his sense, taking her mouth in another drugging kiss. His hands went to the buckle of his jeans, he unbuckled his belt and unsnapped his jeans, Mary trailed her hands down the light matted hair on his chest to where his hands worked at his zipper. She took over the task, pushing his jeans past his hips until his throbbing erection stood proudly before her.

She wrapped her fingers around his length and cradled his sac in her hands, pumping her fist slowly until his head dropped back in surrender. Moisture beaded on the tip of his hardness and she licked her lips in anticipation.

"I want to taste you," she murmured against his jaw, her panting breathes on his ear, caused him to groan in arousal.

"I won't last if you breathe on me, let alone taste me," he rumbled as he pushed her back onto the bed, he reached up and hooked his fingers over the elastic of the sweats and pulled down until she lay on the bed in only her panties.

He panted at the sight and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her abdomen, right below her belly button, nipping the skin before laving it with his tongue.

His gaze travelled down to her center, he touched his fingers to her wet golden curls, and she dropped her head onto the bed with a flop, shaking with her need to be filled.

Knelt in front of her, he propped her legs over his shoulders, splaying her open before him and murmured, "So pretty."

Mary tried to close her legs, she hadn't been with anyone since Mark and being pregnant hadn't given her another option, but he wouldn't let her hide from him.

"Relax, Mare."

_Yeah, buster, it's easy for you to say. You haven't given birth to a child before._ As much as she'd wanted him exactly where he was at, her body wasn't like before, she was a lot curvier.

But all thought of her body fled the instant his mouth touched her. She arched off the bed, and her fingers tangled in his brown locks, unsure is she should pull him closer or push him away.

"Oh, God. Marshall. I can't…it's too much," she moaned from the intense pleasure.

"Never…never going to be enough," he muttered heatedly, his finger slid inside of her, then he joined it with a second, and his mouth closed over her clit. He curved his fingers and pressed against her inner walls as his tongue flicked her clit rapidly.

Heat gathered in her belly and tingles formed throughout her body, all racing inward as her body bowed and her cries echoed off the walls. Colors danced behind her closed lids as the orgasm ripped through her and left her limp against the cold sheets, her body damp with sweat. He sucked her juices as he felt her clench around the gentle invaders within her.

When he felt her body relax, he wrapped his hands around her thighs, moving her up over to the center of the bed. He sat up beside her, reaching down and taking his boots off before pushing his pants along with his boxes down and off.

Marshall turned back to Mary and moved slowly over her body until the coarse hair of his chest rubbed against her sensitive nipples. She moaned as she felt the broad tip of his hardness press against her sensitive center, and she wrapped her legs around his waist with anticipation.

Marshall kissed her deeply the same moment he plunged into her, and they both groaned in unison, on the edge of the precipice neither could describe.

"Jesus, you're so fucking tight," he growled as he ground his hardness deeper into her.

"Ahh," her breath caught at his invasion, she tried to regulate her breathing as she ran her hands up and down his back, pressing down onto his ass when she felt ready for his thrusts.

He started to move against her, and she only felt pleasure. Her nails raked up his back and she arched her hips up to take more of him. There could never be enough.

"More, more," she begged. "Harder," she panted, mindless words escaped her lips as he granted her every wish.

He pivoted his entire length in and out of her body until she felt like one massive nerve ending. Sweat poured and covered their bodies, and their cries and moans were primal.

His lips devoured hers and swallowed her cry as she tightened around him, her body wracked with tremors, pulsing in ecstasy.

His hand tilted her hips and pistoned faster and harder within her, like he couldn't go faster or deeper. He tore his lips from hers and moved over to her jaw, down to her neck, suckling as she arched her neck under him.

"Mare," he said, thrusting one last time before stiffening against her. She felt his seed as it hit her inner walls and another small orgasm ripped through her. The thought of getting pregnant didn't cross either of their minds, the passion too intense for thoughts.

Marshall collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her throat, against her golden tresses. After a moment, she heard him sniffle before she felt his shoulders shake in repressed sobs.

She murmured sweet nothings on his temple, pressing light kisses. She closed her eyes and tried to hold back her own tears, she was afraid to know why he was crying. Was this their goodbye? Did he come over to let her down easy and took advantage of their sexual chemistry? The tears kept pouring as he shook above her, his arms bracing his upper body, still buried deep within her body.

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**TBC...I think one more chapter or possibly two...hope it was to your satisfaction! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews!**

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Marshall burrowed deeper into her hair behind her ear, as he inhaled her scent, their scent. He had stopped crying into the crook of her neck after a few minutes of uncontrolled sobs that shook them. He was still buried deep inside her body, still semi-hard.

He squeezed his eyes tight, letting out the last few drops of tears out of his eyes, the thought that he wouldn't get here with Mary had been very overwhelming. When he found himself cumming deep inside of her, he didn't think twice about how right it was for her to take him as much as he had taken her.

He hadn't really come to grips that he could have lost everything he could have with her, when Abigail had said she was pregnant. When he walked into the house, in search of his two girls, he had panicked when he found both bedrooms empty. But when she spoke to him from across the room, he had felt such relief that he had charged her like a bull in heat.

Now, here he lay, wrapped in Shannon softness, deep inside her hot sheath and he had sobbed like a child, he cursed at what he thought was his weakness. The fear of losing the two most precious people in his life had been all too consuming and he had to possess the woman standing there, waiting for him to come to her.

Mary waiting instead of running had been a victory, his heart fluttered to a dance and spasm in glee. All he could think to do was to embrace her, he hadn't thought as far as making love to her, but he managed to get them there.

She shifted under him and he moved his hand up, to wipe at the tear tracks on his face. He lifted his head from her hair and pressed his forehead to hers, leaning down to press a tender kiss on her lips. He smoothed her hair away from her sweaty face, an apprehensive look upon her eyes.

Mary looked up into his clear cerulean gaze and held it, she managed a weak half smile, waiting for him to explain the tears. She closed her eyes when she felt her heart clench at the thought that this was possibly their goodbye.

"I'm sorry," he croaked, his throat raw from the sobs that had wrenched from deep within.

She opened her eyes and he stared at her eyes, the golden flecks around her green gaze, held it to try to read her, but she closed them again, surprising him when she questioned him, "Why are you sorry? Are you sorry you let this happen before ending whatever we were about to start? Sorry that you're choosing her?"

Marshall stared at her in shock, he shook his head and leaned down, pressing a heady kiss on her lips, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and responded to his passionate kiss, rubbing her tongue to his until he pulled half way out and thrust into her again. Her swollen tissues flared with his re-entry. Her hips jerking against his as waves of sensation exploded through her, as her womb spasmed around his thick, intruding hardness.

He hummed in enjoyment, his hand moved to her breasts as he slid in and out of her very, very slowly. His thick manhood and his fingers on her nipples never let her excitement die down.

Mary arched under him in adultered pleasure and twisted her hips, causing them both to pant a groan. He nuzzled her neck; his teeth closed on her shoulder in a light bite, and then gently tongued the sting. Her nails raked down his back as she arched anew.

"Ah" he yelped at the pleasure pain of having her lose control so fast, he captured one wrist, placed it over her head and then added the other. One big paw held her wrists easily pinned to the mattress above her head.

"Marshall, Jesus, harder…" she panted as she wrapped her long limbs around his waist, and he increased the force and speed of his thrusts between her legs.

She felt invaded and helpless to do anything, and for some reason she felt more aroused, enraptured. With her arms restrained, her body wasn't hers to control, she had no decisions to make, nothing to do except feel, and she felt free.

The sensations that coursed through her body felt like she had been untouched, the slide of his hardness opening her, his hard hand keeping her from movement, his other hand toying with her breasts, plucking and pinching the nipples to just the edge of pain. To the point where each touch increased her now consuming need.

Marshall released her breasts and managed not to laugh out loud at her guttural yelp of protest at being released too fast. But he wasn't through with her, he set his hand under one of her knees, parting her leg up, opening her further for his deeper penetration. He began to pound into her, and the throbbing between her legs became overwhelming. Her orgasm ripped through her, hard and fast, a glowing flame shooting through her. She moaned as she spasmed around him, as her knee quivered in his hard grasp.

And then his grip tightened as he growled out his own release, the sensation of his hardness jerking inside her made her gasp.

"Ah, Sunshine," he panted against her lips as he rested his forehead atop hers. After letting her wrists go, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, his weight full on her, unlike when he had cried into her shoulder, supporting his weight with his forearms.

She ran her fingers through his thick brown locks and pressed a chaste kiss to his jaw before moving over to his lips. _How am I going to be able to give him up now? _

When he started to withdraw, she grabbed his butt, curled her fingers into the hard curve of muscle, and kept his pelvis against hers, "Don't…not yet."

Rolling to the side, he stayed inside her, savoring the small twitches around him. He snuggled her closer, soft and pliant in his arms.

When he felt her relax against him, their noses touching as they lay on the same pillow, "I'm sorry I didn't woo you into bed Sunshine."

Her eyes widened and stared at him, he rubbed his nose against hers before pressing a light kiss to her already swollen lips.

"I wanted us to get here eventually, but I wanted to court you first," he murmured against her lips.

A tear slid out of her eye and slid over the bridge of her nose, before dripping between them onto the pillow, she closed her eyes and pressed a kiss to his lips, suckling his lower lip. He growled and thrust his tongue into her mouth, their tongues twining as they kissed fervently.

Marshall tore his lips from hers, and wiped at another near, "Shh, Mare, no more tears."

"Promise?" she croaked into the crook of his neck as she burrowed deeper into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Promise," he murmured as he withdrew from her, both moaning the loss.

* * *

Mary woke before he did, he lay sprawled on his back, as she curled over his side, her head resting on his shoulder, one leg over his, possessively. She grinned at how many times he had loved her throughout the afternoon well into the evening. Looking over his relaxed body, she saw that it was after midnight and having nothing to eat since the pancakes he had prepared for them before his departure, her stomach growled.

He mumbled something in his sleep; she managed to disentangle from his embrace and left him there to sleep. Her stomach would not let her sleep any more until she refueled; she chuckled as she walked into the kitchen, naked underneath his button up shirt. Her body complained as she stretched the unused muscles, she hadn't made love so many times in all her life, not even when she was younger and married to Mark. She discovered that Marshall was a passionate lover, something she was going to enjoy full time.

She shook her head at that thought and opened the fridge, finding the items for a sandwich, she went about making them both a sandwich, which she was sure she would eat since Marshall was beat from their lovemaking.

Sitting on the cold stool, she bit her sandwich and thought back to the lovemaking. She still wasn't sure where it was going to lead, where they now a couple? _He **did **say that he wanted to court me, right? That means we're together now, right? This is too confusing, I don't even know if I'll sleep the rest of the night until I know._

As if her thought conjured him up, Marshall stepped into the kitchen in only his boxer briefs. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't seen him walk in, jumping with a yelp atop the stool when he reached over and taking a sandwich from her plate.

"You can lose a limb pulling those kinds of stunts in this house, you know," she scowled at his relaxed satisfied grin.

She couldn't hold her scowl for long, the grin she tried to hide burst out and he chuckled, moving over to her side of the island. He pulled a stool over next to her and sat with his thighs wide around her stool, almost having her sitting on his lap.

"Don't you know about personal boundaries, Doofus?" she muffled with her mouth full.

He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, hauling her back to his front, he rested his chin on her shoulder, pleased that she was willing to let him lead her, "Don't _you _know that it's ill-mannered to talk with your mouth full?"

Mary elbowed him but he managed to hold her elbow at bay, taking a huge bite, she spoke through her food, muffling, "Dun say ill-mannered."

The silence engulfed them after their camaraderie, neither unsure of how to take all the teasing.

She was the first to break the silence, she swallowed her food, "Marshall?"

"Yeah," she turned back to look at him through the corner of her eye, he looked pensive, his chin still residing on her shoulder. He met her gaze and stared intently back at her, waiting for what was to come.

"Why'd you cry?" turning away from him, giving him space to open up to her, not that-that had ever been a problem of his, he had always been open to her. She closed her eyes at the many times he spoke and she plainly misunderstood, or tried to dissuade by doing the opposite.

He hummed and moved back, turning her body to face him, his chin on his chest as he thought on how to explain, "I almost lost you."

Mary saw the guilt written all over his face, not understanding she frowned and reached out, grasping his chin in her hands, she pulled his face up. She met his blue eyes, they were as bright as a sunny day in Albuquerque, their eyes locked as they had their silent conversation.

"How would you possibly lose me?" she asked after a moment, a curious frown marring her previously serene face.

Marshall stared at her and explained the whole argument with Abigail, including the fake pregnancy along with the fact that she was willing to get pregnant right then and there to keep him tied to her.

When he was done, all Mary could do was utter, "Bitch! How could she do that?"

He shrugged, leaning forward his lips brushed hers and he whispered, "I love you."

Mary's eyes stared at him with her eyes full of unshed tears, then her lips lifted into a smile, "I love you too Marshall."

"God, Mare," he pulled her roughly against him and buried his face in her bosom, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hung onto him. "I almost lost you and Norah."

"You wouldn't have lost us, I'm sure it would have been hell to work with you…" she trailed off, knowing she was speaking a lie. She knew that if Marshall had gone off to be with the cheerleader, she would've managed to get transferred out of Albuquerque. "I lie, I don't know how I would've taken it, but I guess I wouldn't want to be here anymore."

"I know, I know," he murmured against her chest before moving back and pressing her head to his chest, "But now, we don't have to worry about anything like that. We'll have to get up early tomorrow morning, though."

Mary pushed him back and met his twinkling eyes, full of mischief, "What do you have in mind?"

Marshall grinned, pressing a hard kiss on her lips, coming up for breath, he confidently said, "Because tomorrow my love, we're going into the courthouse and getting hitched!"

"Wait, what?" she managed to ask, her eyes wild in surprised shock.

He kissed her again, loving that she responded to him quickly, "You…and…I…are…going…to…get…married…tomorrow."

She frowned at him and shook her head, causing a flash of pain mixed with fear crossed his features and she announced, "No…we…are…not…Doofus!" she enunciated like he had done and continued to erase the fear etched on his eyes, "Because we need to pick up Norah before we do."

Marshall stood up and picked her up, walking towards the bedroom, growling low in her ear, "You my future bride, will pay for that!"

She shrieked as he dropped her on the mattress, he came over her and kissed her senseless. Before they got carried away Mary pushed him up, tearing her lips from his, panting into his face, "What if Norah is it?"

"Then Norah is all I want, no more excuses Mare, I've waited all this time and I don't plan on letting you or Norah go, we're a family now," he murmured as he pressed kisses over her jaw, down to her ears and licking at a sensitive spot behind her ear, causing her to gasp in pleasure.

"Damn straight, we're a family," she murmured as he continued his exploration, managing to make love one more time before sleep finally claimed them for an hour or two.

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**TBC...one more chapter guys! Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the reviews! Did not want to end the fic but all good things must come to an end...ENJOY!**

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**_Epilogue_**

Mary rolled over, seeking warmth from her bedmate, when she landed on a cold spot, she cracked open one eye and growled, "Marshall!"

She heard racket in the kitchen, and immediately knew what he was doing. She groaned and rolled away from the cold spot, burrowing deeper into the blankets on her side. A minute later, Marshall's head appeared through the crack of the door.

"Hey, Mare, you're up! Maybe you can help me with…" he trailed off when she narrowed her eyes at him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm _cold,_ Doofus. We had a deal!" she scolded him as she wrapped the blanket around her cold body.

Marshall stepped into the room and grinned, "I know sweetheart, but we have tons to do today."

She rolled her eyes at him before shutting him out, she pulled the pillow she was laying on over her face, to complete the effect to shut him out.

Mary felt the bed dip by her hips and he crawled over her, pulling the blankets back he settled behind her, pulling her flush against his body. She didn't go willingly, she fought him for a bit - she wouldn't be Mary if she didn't - but once she was settled against his entire front, legs entwined she let herself relax into his embrace.

"There, are you warm?" he asked softly into her ear, causing her to shiver, but for a completely different reason this time. She went from icy cold to melting hot at the feel of his breathing in the hollow between neck and shoulder.

She moved away only far enough to turn in his embrace and lift her face to his, she pressed her lips to his and nibbled on his bottom lip before capturing it with her teeth, suckling it. He growled and parted her lips with his tongue, pushing her onto her back as he straddled her, pushing her legs apart.

They froze as they thought they heard little feet pattering towards their bedroom, Marshall lifted and then tilted his head to better hear the sound. Muttering a soft curse on her lips, he kissed her harshly, thrusting his hardness into her soft center. She moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him back with as much passion as she could muster.

When Marshall pushed off her, tearing his lips from hers and rolled away, she growled in protest, then a second later the bedroom door burst open, slamming against the wall. Her heated body turned cold as if they had dumped a bucket of ice cold water on her. She pulled the blankets over her again and turned to see Marshall sitting on his side of the bed, his face turned enough to look over his shoulder, "Hey kids, you're up early."

Mary frowned over at the kids for interrupting, when she saw them looking with wide-eyed innocence, nervous, she took one arm from under the blankets and reached out to them with a smile, "Come on, hop into bed with Momma. She's cold."

Five year old Norah looked tentatively from Mary to Marshall and back to her mother before looking down at her little brother with a huge grin, "Come on Seth, Momma's cold."

"Mama, col'?" asked three year old Seth Marshall Mann. He had been conceived the day their parents had made love for the very first time. The pregnancy had been as risky as when she had been with Norah, but with the difference that she had Marshall 24/7. She didn't have to call and find out what was wrong if she felt different. Her blood pressure had been kept down, at least half the time, because Marshall would constantly calm her down from whatever had pissed her off.

Marshall chuckled as she saw the little ones scurry on up on the bed, when he felt that his body had returned back to normal, glad that he was still wearing his pajamas he turned back to the cuddling group and joined them.

"Momma's always cold, right Seth?" Marshall asked his younger son. The little boy the spitting image of Marshall as a child, Mary loved to stare at his cerulean eyes, much like his father's. Marshall doing the same with Norah, since she didn't take after Mark, but strongly took after Mary he had dreamed as a child.

"Righ' daddy!" he chimed as he crawled over Mary and hugged her around her neck, she held him close, smelling his sweet baby smell from the baby shampoo he refused to part with.

"Alright, is today gang up on Momma day?" Mary grumbled good-naturedly as she wrapped her arm around her baby. She turned to Marshall and winked at him with a huge grin, "We're a family."

Marshall blushed slightly and nodded, causing his hair to sway, he cuddled Norah against his chest, "I aimed and I hit the bull's eye when I married you, love."

Mary's grin spread wider and she muttered with mock resignation, "Fine, I'll help you with the da…I mean with the great dinner this year. But you need to finish what you started later tonight."

He blushed furiously as he nodded quickly at her with a smirk, "Don't I always?"

"Mmmphm," she muffled from under her young son's tiny chest.

* * *

"Mare!" he called from the kitchen, but the woman was too busy complaining to herself to hear him.

She scowled as she went around the dining table, setting plates in front of each chair, grumbling at each station as she went, "Oh, he better deliver tonight…kids or no kids, he better have me screaming…I can't believe I let him bribe me into this, _again_…God, didn't I convince him of no more dinner parties?..."

Marshall stepped out of the kitchen and stood transfixed by the woman Mary had turned into, she hadn't turned into June Cleaver, but she was more feminine for him alone. Now, as he observed her and her rambling, he grinned as he stepped up behind her, "Yes, you did, but I always convince you to change your mind."

She thrust her elbow back, landing the blow to his midsection, he humph as he pulled her up against him, "Doofus, you're lucky I like you, or you'd be strung up from the tallest building I could find."

"Did you know that Dubai has the tallest building in the world? It's called Burj Khalifa," he related as he held her against him as she mock struggled to get him off.

She stopped at his ranting and turned her head around meeting his shimmering blue eyes over her shoulder with a confused frown, "You mean Wiz Khalifa, don't you?"

Marshall started to chuckle and then released her as he burst out laughing, he pulled a chair amid his laughter and collapsed atop it as he held onto his belly, tears running down his face.

Mary stood there in shock, she had never caused him to laugh as hard, then she started to laugh nervously not sure exactly what was so funny. But then stopped laughing as a thought entered her mind, she scowled down at him, "What's so damn funny? The fact that I knew the real name of the building? What's so funny about that? Can't I know the same useless information you do?"

She swirled around and continued her trek around the dining table, this time she had utensils in her hand, a scowl on her face, feeling stupid.

He stopped laughing when he noticed her clam into herself, she had put up a wall, he didn't feel offended, putting up walls was second nature to her. But just because he didn't feel offended, didn't mean he didn't feel guilty for making her feel stupid.

"Hey, Mare," he started, but she kept on working around the table, setting napkins next. "Sweetheart…"

She looked down at her wrist watch, then up at him, blank look on her face, "Did you come out here for something? People are going to start showing up in a few minutes."

Marshall frowned as the walls kept going up, he took a step up to her and she took one back in sync with his movements as always. He moved hurriedly towards her as she tried to twirl around away from him, he pulled her back into his embrace and whispered into her ear, "You're not stupid, I didn't try to imply that when I laughed. To be honest with you, I wasn't really laughing _at _you."

She struggled for a bit, then sighed as she heard him, resting her forehead on his shoulder, "If not _at _me, then what?"

He sighed in relief when she relaxed in his hold, with fingers on her chin, he leaned back and lifted her face up, "I was laughing at the fact that you _knew_ of the name Wiz Khalifa. He's actually a person, an artist if you may."

"Huh, come again," she frowned up at him.

"He's a rapper, sweetheart," he informed her as he leaned down as he held her head immobile and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips.

Mary stepped back and continued around the table, with Marshall keeping his distance as he continued to observe her. When she stopped across the table from him she said, "Someone's here."

He narrowed his eyes at her and then sighed sadly when he heard the doorbell, "After you open the door and let our first arrivals in, can you join me in the kitchen?"

She shrugged as she walked away, not really giving him an answer, but no doubt she would be in that kitchen once she let the first couple in. Mary checked herself on the mirror by the door, something that Marshall had installed soon after he moved into her house – to make sure you were presentable before leaving the house. Mary caught herself checking to make sure she was presentable on a few occasions, causing her to scowl.

Opening the door, she was met with a smiling pair, Brandi and Peter, ushering them in, "Come in, come in. Man the door Brandi."

Brandi rolled her eyes at Peter and asked sarcastically, "What am I, your own personal butler?"

"No, you're not educated enough to be one," Mary answered with a sneer on her face.

She walked into the kitchen and found Marshall in full swing of the goings on of the kitchen, even though she cooked for most of their regular every day meals, she never could make such scrumptious food for a dinner party, so she left Marshall in charge of that.

"What did you need?" she asked as he walked from the island over to the stove, opening the oven to check on his masterpiece.

He looked up and smiled, "Who was it?"

"Brandi and Peter"

"Great! They can keep the rest of the group occupied," he said as he shrugged out of his apron and tossed it on top of the island. He walked around, claiming her hand in his, he pulled her towards the laundry room. "Come on."

Mary followed behind him, not sure where exactly he was taking her, when they entered the laundry room he closed the door, she turned to him and asked, "Did I forget to wash something?"

"No," he muttered as he walked her backwards until her butt hit the dryer, wrapping his hands to the back of her thighs he picked her up, he set her on top and spread her legs, stepping between them. "But I need you so desperately right now that I won't be able to entertain until I have you."

She shuddered in desire and wrapped her long legs around his waist pulling him close, she arched into his hands on her hips, "God, Marshall...w-we can't...they're all coming."

"Not them, but you are," he muttered with a smirk, before he took her ear lobe into his mouth, suckling it.

His teeth nipped her neck and she shuddered anew, groaning at the hands that had moved from her hips, burrowed under her dress, caressing her thighs. His lips claimed her lips as he burrowed deeper, both gasping when he made contact, he found her naked underneath. He tore his lips from hers, staring into her heated eyes and growled, "Commando Sunshine?"

"You're always so frisky after we see our guests out, thought I'd save us some time," she reasoned as she ran her fingers through his brown locks before she claimed his lips again.

He made short work of his slacks, she helped with the zipper and murmured, "Hurry babe, Jesus...I need you."

Marshall pushed his slacks down along with his boxer briefs and pulled her onto the edge of the dryer, looking into her eyes, he plunged as deep as he could get from her angle. Her long legs pulled him closer, emitting a deep guttural groan when he sank deeper, her lips joined his and began their synchronized rhythm.

He groaned as he deepened his thrusts and matched it to his tongue, suckling her tongue, the triumphant feeling he always got when she moaned in agonizing pleasure. She held his head with one hand as her second hand moved down to his butt, silently begging for fuller deeper fast thrusting, which he complied immediately.

Within a dozen thrusts they were convulsing, groaning and moaning into their mouths as they came within seconds of each other, he thrust a final time and wrapped his arms around her waist. Chest to chest and still joined in the most elemental way, they continued to kiss and brought each other down from their high.

Marshall pulled his mouth free with small pecks on her lips, jaw, eyes and ears, "I love you so damn much, Mare."

"I know," she croaked, hoarse from their passionate lovemaking, "We should have these dinner parties more often."

He chuckled as he pulled out, holding onto her hips, both groaned with the loss. Looking up at her he pulled up his slacks from around his ankles and blushed, "What?"

She had been caught with a smirk, "Just…I love you too."

Mary pulled him close again and gave him a slow thorough kiss before hoping off the dryer, "I need to freshen up."

Marshall smirked at her shaky stride, his chest expanded in smugness as he walked behind her out of the laundry room.

* * *

Marshall walked into the living room after getting presentable again, he saw that not only were Brandi and Peter the only guests, but were now joined by Delia, Jefferson and their significant others.

"Hey Marshall, how's the cooking going?" asked Brandi with a knowing smirk on her face, Peter rolled his eyes at his wife and shook his head with a chuckle.

Mary walked into the living room, hearing the question she blushed, turning to her husband she winked and muttered, "His cooking is always out of this world."

It was Marshall's turn to blush and upon hearing the door bell, used the excuse to leave the room. He opened to find the last couple of their group, Stan holding a wine bottle in one hand and his wife Eleanor's hand in the other, he thrust the wine at his host and greeted him, "Hey Marshall!"

"Hey Stan, Eleanor, come in, everyone's here already," he greeted the newcomers and led them into the living room. Standing next to Mary he pulled her up against his side, "Welcome to our humble abode."

Mary rolled her eyes and back handed his chest lightly, "Don't say abode."

They all laughed at their antics, even after marriage they were still the same partners, but now there were benefits to their partnership.

* * *

"Thanks for coming…have a good night…drive safely," Marshall uttered the same words each year after their dinner parties, with his arms wrapped around Mary's waist as they waved off each guest.

Once the last car drove off, Marshall walked backwards into the house, closing the door and pushing Mary against it, he murmured against her lips, "Now, where were we?"

Mary reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, "Right here…"

He hoist her up against the door and pressed his hardening body against hers, "No, right here."

"Mommy! Daddy!" the wailing came from Norah's bedroom.

They groaned and he set her down as hand in hand they walked to their eldest daughter's room.

THE END

* * *

**Yes, it is the end...now to get back to Misunderstanding Mistakes...Hope you all enjoyed this little fic, it was a pleasure to write a bit of humor to go with the angst at the beginning. You guys are awesome! **


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